Honor and Duty
by BlackWolf219
Summary: Trapped in the Shadowzone, Jack must survive alongside the most unlikely of allies. Takes place after FlameWar.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another prologue to a story I will write after the Prime Judgment.**

**Prologue**

The Decepticons stood at the site of the latest Iacon find, perhaps the most important yet considering its reputation. Lord Megatron had attempted to retrieve the relic himself but found only a Prime could do so. Undeterred, he simply ordered that take the mountain it was buried in if necessary. And so began their construction, the servant-class soldiers drilling away to apparently no avail. The protective field surrounding it proved to be powerful indeed.

"Enough!" a voice bellowed and all turned to face their lord and master, Megatron. "Begin transport!" The _Nemesis_ loomed overhead, a crane descending to grasp the rock. As they prepared for departure, Lord Megatron's second-in-command, the ever loyal Dreadwing, stood by his master's side.

"Lord Megatron," he inclined his head in a bow. "Our rouse seems to have worked. The Autobots do not suspect a thing as Soundwave continues to lead them astray."

"Excellent news, Dreadwing," he replied. "If I cannot wield this new weapon, we can at least ensure it never falls into hands of Optimus Prime." The two continued to watch as the ship prepared to lift the rock, when blaster fire was suddenly heard. They turned towards the troops, who returned fire, as unidentified attacker ran towards them. Megatron growled, "Who in the Pits of Kaon is that?"

"Unknown, my liege," Dreadwing readied his weapon to fire. "Perhaps it is the new Autobot our troops reported on the previous cycle. He certainly fits the description." They continued to watch this new opponent as he charged his way through, managing to take down several of their troops. Finally, he reached the sword and started to pull, to no avail. He muttered something they could not hear from their distance before he was blasted from behind. Megatron and Dreadwing joined their troops in confronting this newest Autobot.

"And who might you be?" Megatron raised an optic ridge.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the Autobot smirked, earning a growl from the Decepticon Lord. He readied to finish him when more blaster fire was heard, the remaining Autobots charging forward. With a snarl, Megatron opened fire, followed by Dreadwing. He took notice of the femme, Arcee, who seemed distracted as she dealt with two of their soldiers. She then shifted her gaze elsewhere, Dreadwing following her.

She watched as two Insecticons were gathered by a rock, clawing at something. Immediately, she dashed toward them and defeated them, just as they removed the rock to reveal a human. One of the humans allied with the Autobots, and the one responsible for disrupting Lord Megatron's plans from what he'd heard. She appeared to scold the boy for something before gathering him in her arms and retreating to a safe distance. For now, she was of no concern as Dreadwing continued to fire upon the others just as Lord Megatron realized something.

"Where is Prime?" He glanced up towards the boulder being lifted, catching Optimus Prime closely following, using speed foreign to someone his size. With a look of horror, he ordered, "Make sure Prime does not reach the relic!" Dreadwing nodded and transformed, barreling towards the Prime. He launched his missiles just as the Prime grasp the relic.

His rockets missed as an energy flowed through the rock, releasing the Prime along with the relic. He fell to ground, adjusting himself, and landed on his feet. Dreadwing transformed just as the Prime emerged from the cloud of dirt. In his hands was the fabled Star Saber, a powerful blade forged by Solus Prime herself. The Seeker could not help stare in awe at the blade, just as the _Nemesis_ released the boulder.

The other Autobots, gathered a far distance from their leader, shouted for him to run, but, like a true warrior, he stood his ground. With a mighty slash, he split the boulder in two, to the shock of all. Dreadwing could not help but stare in awe at the sight. With such power, the Autobots may very well be able to turn the tide in the War. In the name of Lord Megatron, and his twin Skyquake, he could not let that happen. He transformed and prepared to face the Prime just as he unleashed a powerful wave of energy toward the _Nemesis_.

The ship faltered but remained airborne, just as the master radioed him, "Dreadwing! Where are you?"

"Merely ensuring that Prime will not live to use the relic to its maximum potential against, my Lord," he replied.

"Do not be foolish! The power he now wields is far too great for you to handle! Return immediately so that we may devise a more effective solution. That is an order!"

"Forgive my insolence, master," he replied shamefully. "But as you 1st Lieutenant, I must ensure you victory no matter the cost to my own well-being." Dreadwing transformed and stood before the other Autobots, just as a prepared to depart. They turned to face him, Arcee standing protectively in front of her human. "Optimus Prime," he unsheathed his own blade. "Let us see if you have what it takes to handle that weapon in battle."

"Dreadwing," the Prime stood ready to face him. "We have not come to fight, merely to retrieve one of our human allies. If we must do battle, then permit me to return him to our base." Dreadwing glared at the human, the femme ready to pounce on him should he attack. The human deserved whatever punishment Lord Megatron deemed fit for him, but he would only serve as a distraction for the Prime. Dreadwing stood down briefly and nodded. As the Prime contacted for a ground-bridge back to base, more blaster fire rained down from above.

Dreadwing looked to find Lord Megatron and a squadron of flyers racing toward them, his one true master firing toward the Autobots fiercely. They were forcibly scattered as the landed. Megatron glanced at Dreadwig, "Be thankful you have proven to be one of my most loyal soldiers or I would have left you to your fate."

"I am grateful and undeserving of your generosity, Master," he bowed his head in shame. "Please use my blade as a manner of evening the battle with Optimus Prime." Megatron took Dreadwing's sword and stood ready to battle the Prime. Dreadwing simply chose to do his part and deal with the remaining Autobot fools as they battled. The Wrecker and scout charged him, and he held his own against the two. He battled against them as they fought furiously, the Wrecker managing punch him a great distance. He landed just as ground-bridge opened behind him.

The femme and new recruit stood ready to fight him, the human hiding behind them. He stood ready for battle, "I will allow your pet to return to your base safely. I have no interest in him unless my master commands it." He stood aside, but remained close in order to resume battle. The femme aimed her blasters at him while urging the boy forward. He was almost there when Lord Megatron dodged an attack from Optimus Prime, the energy wave flying toward them.

The recruit saw this coming and tackled Arcee to the ground to avoid the attack, only for it to mix with the energy of the ground-bridge. The portal glowed brighter and brighter with each swirl, threatening all in the area. The human watched in fearful awe, prompting Dreadwing to dash towards him and shield him from the attack. Why, he didn't know, but his honor would never allow him to stand by while this unknown phenomena took place. He felt the energy engulf them as the femme cried out.

"Jack!"

**Honor and Duty**

That was all Arcee managed to get out before the ground-bridge overloaded, a wave of energy spreading them even further than they were. Once they recovered, she opened her optics to find nothing there except a large crater. Horror filled her frame as she ran to investigate the scene, "Jack!" Fear wracked her frame as she received no answer, searching through the crater for any sign of her charge, her partner. She'd already lost two, she couldn't lose a third.

The others recovered and watched in horror as she dug through the remains left by the crater frantically. Megatron stood, looking for Dreadwing but found no one. He remembered seeing him run to that human's defense. No doubt due to his honor, an admirable quality only surpassed by his loyalty. But it seemed to have cost him greatly.

He looked down at his sword, cracked from the strikes to the Star Saber and decided to depart for now. He may have lost one of his more loyal followers, but the Autobots had also lost one of their pets. That was even enough for his tastes.

"Arcee," Optimus tried, not wanting to believe what happened himself. Had he been responsible for the demise of one of their human comrades? He watched as his second-in-command search furiously through the dirt, stopping only to let out a cry of anguish. Smokescreen placed a hand on her shoulder, only to receive a fist to his faceplate.

"This is all your fault!" she shrieked, anger and despair evident in her tone. "You were supposed to protect Jack! And all you did was pull stupid pranks and put him in danger! You pit spawned-" Bulkhead and Bumblebee held her back as she clawed at the recruit. He only looked past them to the crater where Jack was. Guilt and sadness filled his optics, but it was lost on Arcee, who continued to spit a slew of Cybertronian curses at him. He glanced towards Optimus Prime, his idol, who stared back blankly, clearly blaming himself for what had happened.

But he also caught disappointment; in him for letting Jack tag along. He got up slowly as another bridge opened. He walked through, ignoring the furious daggers Arcee was giving him and returned to base. She shoved away from her teammates grasp and walked through the ground-bridge, sparing the crated one last glance before the anger faded. Bulkhead and Bumblebee exchanged looks of their own before walking through.

Optimus stared at the weapon in his hands, thinking about the massive power it held, and how he'd been so reckless with it. He walked solemnly through the ground-bridge, "Primus forgive me, what have I done?"

**Honor and Duty**

Jack groaned as he recovered from the large blast, surprisingly in one piece, as he heard Arcee call out to him. He opened his eyes and watched her run toward him, now in a crater created by the overload. She slid into the large hole and started searching frantically, to his confusion. He was right in front of her but she didn't see him. He was about to call to her before it dawned on him; he was in the Shadowzone.

Scrap, this was the worst thing that could have happened to him! He was trapped in an alternate dimension with no way to get out, unless… His phone! Of course, his phone was always with him. He quickly checked his pockets for any sign but came up empty. He searched around for it, his gaze falling on the large figure that lay next to him. Dreadwing.

Now, it was definitely much worse. He was trapped in an alternate dimension, unable to locate his phone and with a Decepticon! At least this one wasn't undead. But that probably made him all the more dangerous. Still, if he recalled, it was him who tried to protect him from the blast.

He was about to continue searching for his phone when he noticed it in pieces beneath the Seeker. His head hung in frustration as he felt his scars start to irritate, grabbing the ointment his mother prescribed to him after the FlameWar incident. They'd been irritated by most things, such as wool, hot showers for a time, and apparently his stress level. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Arcee's cry of anguish, guilt coursing through him. He never should have followed Smokescreen, now Arcee probably thinks he's dead.

A groan drew his attention, Dreadwing rising to his feet and shaking away the dizziness. He glanced down at Jack before taking notice of the other Autobots, he readied to fight them when Jack spoke, "Don't bother. They can't see, hear, or feel you."

"What?" He approached the Wrecker carefully, taking note how he seemed to only be staring at the femme in sympathy. He stood a mere foot away from him, but nothing happened. The Wrecker walked past him, or _through_ him, as the case seemed. He couldn't believe what was happening, how such a thing was possible. But the proof stood before him plain as day.

The Autobots left, unaware of the two occupants trapped in the Shadowzone.

**Honor and Duty**

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Sorry if anyone was OOC. Reviews are appreciated. Now I've got some plot bunnies to go hunt.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Assessment and Decision**

The Decepticon 1st Lieutenant couldn't process the events that had just occurred. He had gone from fighting alongside Lord Megatron to being confined in some parallel world, watching as his one true Master departed. The Autobots left soon after, leaving the former Seeker Captain with their human pet. The boy sat cross-legged, pondering what to do next just as he was. Dreadwing couldn't help but feed the curiosity about the boy's knowledge of this world.

He addressed him, "How much do you know about this dimension?"

He glanced up, unsure if he should answer but saw no harm, "I was trapped here a few months ago. We're moving at a different frequency than everyone else so, like I said, they can't see, hear, of even feel us. The only solid here is us, the ground, and whatever else is trapped here."

"How did you escape?"

"I managed to get a message to the other Autobots with my cell phone," he glared. "Which you crushed." Dreadwing was confused as the organic gestured to the small device that lay broken at his feet. He decided to attempt contact with the warship.

"This is commander Dreadwing to the _Nemesis_," he radioed, static his only answer. "I repeat, this is commander Dreadwing to the _Nemesis_; does anyone copy?"

"You wasting your time," Jack sighed. "Unless you can send a text message, we're stuck here." Dreadwing glanced off in the direction the warship had left, and decided to test this boy's word. He ran a good distance before shifting into his vehicle from. He flew off, to this fleshling's dismay.

"Great," he muttered. "Now what?" he decided it would be best to find some form of shelter. He had no idea what this world was like other than the basics, so there was no telling if there was any form of life here. Aside from the undead Decepticon roaming in search of his missing arm. Now that Jack thought about it, Dreadwing reminded him of that 'Con for some reason. But he couldn't dwell on that right now; he had to find a way out this place.

The day's events had proven to be draining for young human as he walked into the forest, wary of whatever animals he crossed paths. It didn't take long for him to find some cave to hold up in. He leaned against wall, surprised he didn't phase through it as he thought about what to do. He wondered how he was going to get out of this one. Right now, he wished Raf was here so he could repair his damaged phone or do something ingenious to get them out of this mess.

Fate sure knew the right times to mess with him and the 'Bots. His heart ached in guilt over the pain he caused Arcee, remembering her anguished cries. After what happened with FlameWar, he knew better than to do something so stupid. He curled up against the wall, resting his head on his knees as sleep overtook him.

**Honor and Duty**

The Autobot base was silent, the whir of the ground-bridge being the only sound heard as they reviewed past events. Arcee had retreated to her quarters, unable to be within arm's reach of Smokescreen and not give in to the desire to strangle him. The recruit stood dutifully, ready to receive whatever punishment Team Prime deemed suitable for him. His spark ached in guilt but he allowed himself no reprieve. He'd made a monumental mistake and deserved to pay for it.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee stood off to the side, wondering how they were going to break the news to their charges. Optimus had already called for Agent Fowler to come to base, while Ratchet did all he could to monitor for Jack's cell phone signal. Never in his life had the medic wanted to blame the lack of a signal on the technology but a quick check would locate any of the humans' phones. And if Jack were in one piece, the first thing he would have done is contact base right away to alleviate their fears. Not to mention, the conditions in which this all happened.

He had no way of knowing what the power of the Ancients mixed with the energy field of the ground-bridge would result in. Taking in account the bridge was crafted from human technology, the possibilities multiplied exponentially. The CMO sighed in defeat as he turned toward his leader, his tired faceplates revealing the situation to them. Optimus merely closed his optics, his servos curled as he fought off a multitude of emotions. He chose to return to his quarters and await Agent Fowler's arrival, wanting to take a moment to ponder the ramifications.

"Optimus," Ratchet's tone was hesitant but his leader needed to be alleviated of some of the burden. "I think it best that I inform Nurse Darby of what has happened." The Prime turned to his medic, but Ratchet silenced any protest. "No doubt it will take some time with whatever procedures Agent Fowler will no doubt have to go through, so it's best that all your attention be focused on the coming trials ahead."

The Prime pondered his medic's suggestion, knowing he was right but not wanting to shoulder the burden on anyone else. However, the look in Ratchet's optics clearly told him he wouldn't back down. With a sigh, he responded, "Very well. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, I believe it is best that we inform Miko and Rafael when they are together." The Wrecker and scout nodded, retiring to their quarters while Ratchet continued to work the monitors. Out of the corner of his optic, he saw Smokescreen sullen as ever.

He couldn't fight off the anger towards the recruit due to what his actions had no doubt brought upon the team, but that didn't mean he hadn't felt a small pang of sympathy. Smokescreen was young, perhaps even younger than Bumblebee. His capture prevented him from fully seeing the horrors of the War for Cybertron. He only sought to prove himself to the other, more so to Optimus, but he only resulted in causing yet another tragedy for them. If any good were to come out of all this, it was that Smokescreen was now aware of just how valuable human life is to the Autobots.

**Honor and Duty**

Dreadwing soared through the skies of this world, the only difference from the one he previously inhabited being the darker hue. It didn't take long for him to catch up with the _Nemesis_, trying once more to contact them. "This is commander Dreadwing, does anyone copy? Knock Out, Soundwave, Lord Megatron." Still he received no answer. The only way to truly test what he learned from that human was to inspect the ship himself.

He transformed and landed on the launch pad, testing to see if he would phase through the ship. Once his footing was assured, the Seeker entered the warship. He passed by several Vehicons and Insecticons, each paying him no heed. They conversed on the recent discovery of the Star Saber and what it meant for their cause. He entered the command center as Lord Megatron stood, his troops ready to heed his beckon call.

"Decepticons," he spoke. "We now face our Darkest Hour. Not only have we lost the latest and perhaps most significant Iacon find to the Autobots but we have also lost yet another second-in-command." He held up Dreadwing's damaged blade, "As is our nature, we do not mourn tragic losses but embrace noble sacrifices! The Autobots will pay for this, and all of their various crimes! For now, we must devise a solution to this latest development." The large gathering dispersed and the soldiers murmured amongst themselves.

Dreadwing couldn't believe what was happening, but the fact that several of his fellow Decepticons hadn't acknowledged his presence was proof enough. But he could not stand by, a prisoner of this world, while the War with the Autobots had reached such a crucial juncture. He would have to find some way to escape this realm and return to his Master's side. But the only plausible route to freedom rest with the human he'd left behind. With no choice, Dreadwing left the _Nemesis_ in search of the boy.

The moon had reached its peak in the sky as he returned to where it had all began. He scanned the area, searching for any form of life. It didn't take long to detect the faintest organic life signal a few klicks away. He set off in that direction.

**Honor and Duty**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Breaking the News and Forging an Alliance**

June Darby had always liked to think of herself as a patient woman. Did she sometimes overact to certain situations, such as her son getting involved in a long standing alien war? Maybe a little, but she'd made peace with that once she had gotten to know each of the Autobots personally. They were no different from people, really. They were all soldiers, and like any military unit they were a close family.

She trusted them with her life and with something even more precious, the life of her son Jackson. He'd proven to her that was responsible enough to make his own decisions when it came to them but she still worried. She'd seen what war could do to a person, even if they never fought in one. The signs were clear in all of the Autobots, she'd just never pointed them out. Like any soldiers, they were all burden with the horrors of what the war had put them through.

Bumblebee had his voice box ripped out of him by the Megatron himself, which she imagined could not have been a pleasant experience. Bulkhead had apparently seen comrades fall to vermin and toxins during his time, which left its own mental scar. As a physician, Ratchet was charged with ensuring the survival of future generations but ultimately had to watch as Lord knows how many 'Bots died on his operating table. Arcee, she'd been tortured and watched someone dear to her die; June could only imagine the trauma of something so horrifying. And, lastly, Optimus Prime had to carry the burden of all this death and destruction on his shoulders.

June couldn't help the pang of sympathy she felt for each of them when she thought about it. They were all damaged but the children's presence had repaired it to an extent. Sympathy gave way to shame as she remembered trying to separate them all. Luckily, it seemed none of them had held a grudge against her. Still, afterward she must have apologized dozens of times.

With a sigh, her shift at the hospital came to an end and she left to go pick up her new car, graciously paid for by the government. It was an almost exact replica of her old one, the only difference being the red paint job. When she left the building, she was surprised to find an ambulance waiting outside for her. She look around for a moment before testing out her theory, "Ratchet?"

"Good evening, Nurse Darby," the Autobot medic responded from within the vehicle. "I thought I might pick you up from work. There is something we must discuss." June glanced around again to make sure there were no witnesses before she got into ambulance. She buckled herself into the passenger's seat as the medic pulled out of the parking lot. The fact they weren't headed for a location to ground-bridge to the base let her know he wanted to speak in private. He gave an exhausted sigh, as he tried to think where he should start.

_'From the beginning,'_ he decided. "Nurse Darby, are you aware of our new recruit?"

June pondered his words for a moment before answering, "You mean Smokescreen? Jack told me about him, but I've been so busy I haven't met him yet."

Ratchet paused a moment at the mention of her son's name but she didn't notice, "And what has he told you?"

"Only that he's a little more carefree than the rest you about the war, which doesn't seem like a bad thing."

"Yes, well his 'carefree' attitude caused him to be spotted by a human earlier today," he replied. "Worse, he dragged Bumblebee into the mess and they were both photographed, their image ending up on the internet. But Rafael should be able to take down the photo once he and his family have been relocated. I am getting off topic, the point is Smokescreen's actions were, as Optimus put it, a direct result of our forgoing disguise in order to combat the recent rise in Decepticon activity with the relic hunt."

"So what happened?"

"He thought it best that Smokescreen be given a human partner to help him better understand you species, one who had spent a sufficient time among us."

"Me?"

"No, Jack," he answered.

"Oh, well I'm sure Jack will be able to teach him a lot; he's very responsible for his age," she smiled, proud of her statement.

"Yes, well it seemed Optimus' plan had the opposite effect; Jack and Smokescreen engaged in juvenile pranks around Jasper earlier today."

"He what!" June practically yelled. "He knows better than to do something like that! When I got a hold of him-"

"Nurse Darby," Ratchet's voice was soft. "I fear we are getting off topic again."

"I'm sorry, please continue."

"Hours ago, we detected what appeared to be another find from Iacon, which the other proceeded to track, sans Smokescreen who returned with Jack moments later. We then detected another signal. However, communications were down and I was forced to send Smokescreen on his own. But I didn't notice he'd taken Jack along until it was too late." Now June listened to his tale with rapt attention, wanting to know what he meant by "too late". "When Jack contacted the base, he was barely able to convey that they had found the artifact, already in Megatron's possession. Without a proper means of communication, I had to warn the others personally. But when they returned…"

"What?" she pressed him when trailed off. "What happened Ratchet?" Her heart was suddenly gripped with fear as medic only answered her with silence. She blinked away tears as they formed, wanting so bad to think he was just playing some kind of joke on her. But he was a physician and he'd seen too many people die to think of death as a joke. She pleaded once more, "Ratchet, _please_. Tell me."

"I am afraid that after obtaining the Star Saber, the artifact we had been searching for, the Decepticons engaged us once more. As Megatron and Optimus battled, the others tried to contact me for a ground-bridge. But when it opened, something caused it to overload. I managed to reopen it, but Jack had apparently been caught in the blast." June Darby was in tears now, her beautiful brown eyes turned red as she silently sobbed. She felt the seatbelt she was wearing tighten around her gently, a rare form of affection from the usually stoic medic.

"It is all right June," he comforted her. "You may cry. Don't hold it in." That was all she needed to hear before she began wailing in agony. Burying her face in his dashboard, she cried over the loss of her son.

**Honor and Duty**

Jack had been sleeping for some time, occasionally reliving nightmares of the FlameWar incident. He still felt guilty that he couldn't help her like he had Arcee. He could still see her running into the flames of the auxiliary Decepticon facility, Arcee dragging him away as he tried to stop her. Failing her was as if he'd failed Arcee as well but she told them there was nothing they could do. FlameWar had long since been swallowed by her desire for vengeance.

But no matter what he'd been told, part of him kept telling him that wasn't true. If this guilt was what someone like Optimus had been carrying his entire life, then Jack's admiration of the Prime had doubled. Maybe he'd be willing to help Jack get through if he ever got out of here. Thanks to Dreadwing, his phone was busted so texting the 'Bots was out of the question. Still, there had to be something he could do.

He hated the thought of everyone mourning his passing, especially since he was still alive and well. He never wanted to burden anyone with the thought of his death and he was determined to make sure that never happened. But if he was going to get out of here, then he'd need help, like the kind from a Decepticon Seeker. But that was crazy! Dreadwing would hand him over to Megatron as soon as they got out of here.

But Optimus himself had even tried to reason with the 'Con into the joining the Autobot cause, the only thing stopping him being his loyalty to Megatron and the grudge he held against Optimus and Bumblebee for what happened to his twin brother. But he'd been told that the Seeker was honorable, a rare trait amongst the 'Cons. Jack had even seen it for himself when Dreadwing had tried to protect him from the blast. Maybe he couldn't trust Dreadwing but he could at least rely on him not to stab him in the back the moment they got back to their dimension. Now, all he had to do was find him, which wouldn't have been a problem if he hadn't sped off after the _Nemesis_ a few hours ago.

Jack was about to go back to sleep when the ground beneath him began to shake with a familiar sensation. The footsteps of a Cybertronian were drawing near as a voice called out, "Organic! Show yourself immediately!" Only a 'Con would say that. Weighing his options, the raven haired teen decided it was best not to irritate the 'Con any more than he already was. Jack ran out of the cave just as Dreadwing appeared.

"Nice of you to come back," he quipped. "So do you believe me now?"

"After clearly seeing things for myself, I have decided your story is true," he replied. "We are invisible to everyone except for each other. As such, we can only rely on one another to get out of this dimension. Despite your small size and lack of battle knowledge, I have been told by Lord Megatron himself that you are not to be underestimated. So tell me, what makes you so special?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm just some kid from a small town in Nevada. The only thing special about me is that I'm part of an awesome science fiction club." He was having the opposite effect on Dreadwing and something in the back of his mind told him to stop it. He was dealing with Smokescreen anymore. This was Decepticon who would rather step on him than work with him. "I don't know how we're going to find a way out of here, but you're right; we have to work together."

"Then for now, shall we scan the skies for anything useful?" Dreadwing transformed into his vehicle mode, opening the cockpit for Jack to get in. He was uncertain until he remembered this model had been scanned from Agent Fowler's fighter. He climbed inside and buckled himself in, wondering just what he was getting into.

**Honor and Duty**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Arcee sat in her quarters, curled up in a corner, unable to recharge for fear of reliving the nightmares of her past. She'd had another dream regarding FlameWar last night, from killing her sister to watching her attempt to kill Jack. She saw the deranged femme mocking her while burning in the flames of the destroyed Decepticon auxiliary base. She'd won; Arcee had lost yet another partner and this time she couldn't place the blame on any of the 'Cons. No, this time it was one of her fellow Autobots who was responsible for her latest loss.

When Optimus had assigned Jack to help Smokescreen adjust to having to disguise himself while on Earth, she wouldn't deny being worried but felt Jack might just be able to get some sense in the new recruit. She was more than anything surprised when they came back, laughing about how they just pulled a prank on Vince. It wasn't like Jack to do something so irresponsible and stupid. It seemed the results were the opposite of what Optimus intended. But she couldn't have imagined Smokescreen doing something as stupid as try and take on Megatron by himself.

They may have gotten the Star Saber and perhaps tipped the balance of power back in their favor, but the cost was too much. She wanted to strangle Smokescreen for what he'd done, how stupid he'd been, but knew she'd only run into resistance. They'd all console her while telling her it had been a grave mistake on the recruit's part. She knew Optimus probably had a punishment in mind for him but that didn't sate her anger. For the time being, she didn't want to be bothered unless it involved blowing off some 'Cons' processors.

Her comm crackled to life, "Arcee," it was Ratchet, "I thought you'd like to know that Nurse Darby is here and she wishes to speak with you. She has been informed of what happened." The comm switched off before she could reply. She hadn't planned on speaking with June so soon but the quicker she got it over with, the better it would be for the both of them. She stood up and headed for the command center. Upon entering the area, she was glad the others weren't there, no doubt giving her privacy.

Her optics landed on the woman sitting on the couch in the area where the humans normally interacted. Her eyes were bloodshot from the tears still fresh on her face and she was still sniffling. With an intake of air, the femme strode forward to meet the woman, "June."

"Arcee," she managed to keep her voice calm.

"I'm sorry," she stated.

"It's not your fault, from what I've heard," she sniffled again.

"I should have been there, watched them, made sure they were doing what they were supposed but-"

"You thought Jack was too mature for pranks," she gave a hollow laugh. "He was still a teenager, Arcee, though he made it easy to forget." Her voice began to crack and she took a moment to compose herself. "I know you're blaming yourself but he wouldn't want that."

"We don't always get what we want," she replied bitterly. "June, if there's anything you need…"

"I want to see this Smokescreeen," she stated firmly. Arcee nodded and set off for the new recruit's room, using every ounce of self-control she had left to keep from strangling him. She entered his room and he looked at her, surprised but saddened.

"Command Center. Now." she ordered harshly, turning without even giving him a chance to reply. She listened and heard his footsteps behind her before directing him towards June and leaving them alone. He watched the human femme before him as she composed herself in order to speak with him. He could see from the pictures Miko had shown him that she was Jack's mother and instantly knew why she was here. He straightened himself up and stood ready for whatever happened next.

"You're Smokescreen?"

"Yes mam."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes mam."

"Then you knew who my son was and why I'm here."

"…Yes mam."

"Why?"

"Mam?"

"Why did you behave so irresponsibly? Put the Autobots at risk just to pull some pranks?"

"I… I don't know why? At first, I was angry that a human had thrown that 'fast food' stuff on my vehicle mode, so I thought a little payback wouldn't hurt. Then we just started having some fun. I never meant for it to get out of hand."

"Why did you take Jack with you to retrieve this 'Star Saber'?"

"There's no absolving reason, mam. I made a mistake, a grave error in judgment and now I must face the consequences. Whatever you have intended for me, I won't argue."

"It's not my place to decide your punishment," she replied. "But I want you to think about my son whenever you think about doing anything so reckless ever again. If you even once forget that-"

"I won't, mam," he replied.

**Honor and Duty**

Dreadwing soared through the skies, Jack watched the world go by through the cockpit of his vehicle mode. If the situation were different, than he might have thought it was a wondrous sight, but he knew better. He had to find a way to get out of here and back to the others. He hated thinking about what they were all going through, what _he_ was putting them through. Dreadwing took notice of his thinking, "What troubles you, boy?"

"None of your business," he replied. Why would a Decepticon, Megatron's second-in-command no less, care about his problems?

"Cease your daydreaming and monitor the area for anything that may prove of use," he barked in reply. Jack merely glared at him a moment before looking back outside.

"Hypothetically speaking, what if we did get out of here?" he started. "What happens then?"

"I will turn your over to Lord Megatron for due punishment," he replied cooly.

"You'll try."

"And what makes you think you could escape me or any Decepticon for that matter?"

"I've done it before," memories of that dark chamber, a forest ablaze with fire, filled his mind but he shook it away. FlameWar was, for they knew, gone but he still felt a chill every time he heard the roar of motorcycle engine pass his house. He had to pull himself to together and put up with Dreadwing if they were going to make it out of here and get back to their dimension. He had an idea, but wasn't sure if he should try it.

"There's a desert somewhere," he began. "It's where I was when I was first trapped here. Maybe if we go there, we might be able to pick up on something." It was a long shot but also their only option at the moment. He felt Dreadwing shift and turn toward the area; he knew its location all too well.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

There was a feeling of weightlessness as Jack felt Dreadwing descend to the desert area where he had his first experience with the Shadowzone. He felt a mix of hope and dread as he thought about the actual potential of their plan succeeding. There was no guarantee they'd find some way to get back to their dimension. Even if they succeeded, Jack still had to worry about Dreadwing trying to capture him and take him to Megatron. Honestly, Megatron didn't seem like the kind of person who warranted such loyalty.

"I've been wondering," he decided to pass the time of their search with a conversation. "Why are you, and for that matter all the 'Cons, so loyal to Megatron? I mean from what I've heard, he treats his subordinates terribly."

"Only those who deserve it," the Seeker growled.

"Not to all your troops die for him and he just doesn't care."

"Unlike the Autobots, Lord Megatron does not wish to dwell on trivial matters of the past. He looks ahead to a glorious future for the Decepticon cause. We have accepted the reality of war, as most of us were forced to endure that reality day in and out." Jack remembered Ratchet telling him about Optimus and Megatron's past, recalling the medic mentioning Megatron had been a gladiator. To have to fight for your life every day, while thousands cheered on, was something that left an uneasy feeling in Jack.

He felt the scars given to him by FlameWar start to irritate, remembering his mother's words.

_"It's a type of phantom pain,"_ she had explained when he brought it to her. _"When a soldier loses a limb, they sometimes still feel as though it's still there. That's known as a phantom limb. The more you dwell on what happened, which I don't know since you've refused to tell anyone, the more you'll feel the pain. All I can advise is that you think about happy thoughts."_

_'But this is different'_ he thought as he clutched his chest. The scars had faded into pale marks on his skin but they still caused him a great amount of pain. He decided to broach another subject, "What did you know about FlameWar?"

Dreadwing was a silent for a moment, "She was among Lord Megatron's most loyal soldiers and the first to join him when he challenged the High Council. She was a fierce warrior alongside her sister, Nightshade. Together, they had won the Decepticons many victories during the early stages of the War for Cybertron."

"Sounds like you admired her." Despite himself, he couldn't help the teasing tone he took.

"I _respected_ her as a fellow warrior," he affirmed. "Thus you can imagine my disappointment when I learned she suffered such a dishonorable demise at the hands of the femme." Jack glared at the air controls of Dreadwing's vehicle mode, anger rising. Who was he to pass judgment on Arcee when it had been someone bearing the shield he so proudly defended who had caused her so much trauma? He hated people like that, who thought they could judge someone based on what little they knew about them. Of course, he'd been no different when he first met Arcee but that had all changed.

"Yeah, well good news," he knew this was wrong to say but he wasn't going to let some 'Con badmouth Arcee like that. "She survived her 'dishonorable death' and came back to torture me just to get back at Arcee. I've plenty of scars to remember her by, want to see them?" Unbidden guilt surged through him afterward. It was wrong to say something so horrible about someone with such a tragic past. He bit back the urge to apologize when he remembered he was in the presence of a Decepticon.

"Even so," Dreadwing spoke after a long silence. "It pains me to think about such a once great warrior fallen so far from grace. And yet it fuels me with even more a desire to eradicate every Autobot upon this accursed world." Jack simply leaned back in the seat, wondering why Optimus regarded Dreadwing with such respect. The Seeker was as blindly loyal to Megatron as any one of those Vehicon troopers. What made him so different?

_'You mean other than the fact that tried to protect me from that explosion,'_ he suddenly remembered. That definitely separated him from the rest of his kind. Maybe there was more to Dreadwing than Jack was giving him credit for. Then the thought came to him unbidden, _'Maybe he could be turned.'_

**Honor and Duty**

Ratchet had observed the others silently as they had informed the tragic events of a few nights prior to the others. Agent Fowler was shocked, but had remained composed thanks to his military training. He knew he would have to inform General Bryce of this and come clean about the children as well. That knowledge had only added to Optimus's own guilt over the situation already. It had been much more difficult informing Miko and Rafael.

The Autobot medic would be lying if he didn't say he was intrigued at how three younglings with such different personalities could form such a close friendship. Miko had refused to believe it at first until Bulkhead had all but hammered it into the girl. She yelled at Smokescreen in her native tongue, but Ratchet assumed it all amounted to placing blame on him. Ratchet had to give Smokescreen credit considering all he was enduring these past few days. For Rafael, it had been like losing an older sibling and not even Bumblebee's usual antics would pull him out of this state of melancholy so easily.

For his age, Rafael had always appeared rather calm and so did not join Miko in her heckling of Smokescreen. Instead, the boy merely asked to returned home so he could think to himself. And Ratchet hadn't the spark to refuse him; he would face the consequences from Optimus later. After a rather tense moment, Smokescreen had retreated to his quarters to continue to sulk. It astounded Ratchet that one human could have such an effect on them all.

It had only been months ago that he'd been adamantly against protecting the humans at the cost of their lives. He gave an almost bitter laugh at how simple his mind had been changed by three children. He glanced towards Optimus, who was no doubt awaiting the call from General Bryce. These next few cycles were going to be long.

"Optimus," he knew he had to be the one to push the Prime since Arcee was already grieving in her own way. "I must ask about the whereabouts of the Star Saber."

"I have stored it away in my quarters for the time being," he gave the answer that was predicted. Ratchet understood his old friend carried the weight of every world lost to their war on his shoulders. But the balance of power wouldn't remain in their favor for long and this may have been their only chance to strike a debilitating blow the Decepticons.

"I will examine it later and see if I cannot create a better means for you to carry into battle," he turned to retrieve something in the back before hearing the protest that Optimus know doubt had ready. Unlike Arcee, he never felt comfortable putting Optimus through more stress than necessary. He would do his best to ease his point through to the Prime and only choose a more confrontational method should Optimus prove to be stubborn. For now, he had his own matters to attend to.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

Optimus had finished with yet another meeting with the military tribunal regarding the events surrounding Jack's demise. He had remained calm while some of the members chastised him for bringing civilian adolescents into their War. General Bryce intervened on his behalf, for which he was grateful, and it was agreed the meeting would resume tomorrow. This left the Prime to ponder things, such as his failure to protect Jack. But also the underlying meaning behind Ratchet's comments regarding the Star Saber.

His oldest friend had subtly suggested that he should employ in their next confrontation with the Decepticons, more so Megatron. With its power, he might very well be able to put an end to the Deception cause once and for all. He owed as much to the many sparks and planets lost during this terrible conflict. There had been so many that the Prime, to his shame, could not keep count. It was a logical step from a tactical point of view, but there was one thing stopping him; Jackson Darby.

The young man had perished due to his carelessness in using the blade's power, along with Dreadwing. While the latter loss had not affected him, knowing it may have come to pass sooner or later, he could not help but think of what he could have done differently. The different scenarios played through his processer over and over again, the aching in his spark growing. He wasn't sure if he could use the Star Saber again after such a great oversight. But Ratchet, as always, had a point to make.

It wouldn't be long before Megatron would attempt to return the balance of power in his favor before the Autobots could capitalize on it. It was his obligation as leader of the Autoobts to use whatever advantage they had to its maximum potential. A war waged within his spark between his loyalty to his fellow Autobots and his promise to guard humanity. A promise that he had failed to keep.

"Optimus?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. The Prime turned to find June Darby staring at him, not with the anger he expected to see (and deserved) but with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"I am… fine, Mrs. Darby," he answered hesitantly. "I have merely concluded a meeting with General Bryce and a military tribunal." He noticed how she tensed up, and her next question was careful.

"About Jack?" The Prime merely nodded. "I'm sorry you have to go through that."

"You needn't apologize. It is merely a consequence for my careless actions, and I must meet it. Know that I am sorry that it resulted in the loss of your son." He waited for the anger and resentment she'd shown when Rafael was injured under their watch. But he only saw sympathy.

"It wasn't your fault," she said, smiling but the light not reaching her eyes. "I'm sure Jack would tell you the same thing. We all make mistakes, it's living up to them that determines what kind of person we are. And you've proven that you deserve to be leader of the Autobots time and again with how you've handled this. I don't blame you or the others for what happened to Jack, so please don't blame yourself."

"I will… do my best," he conceded, but knew she could tell he was lying. She sighed and wished him a good night's rest before returning to her assigned room. She was going to have to work it slowly into Optimus that not everything was his victories outweighed his losses in her view. It may have seemed like a lost cause, but she owed it to her son to do _her_ best help them all through this. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Ratchet working on something.

"Ratchet," she approached. He acknowledged her with a nod before returning to what she was doing. She stepped forward but he stopped.

"I would suggest keeping your distance, Nurse Darby," he warned. "You do not have the proper protective outfit for this type of procedure." She saw he was using a welding tool on a massive sword, sparking flying everywhere. She did as he advised and waited in the hall patiently until he was finished. That had to be the Star Saber, she realized, the weapon responsible for taking her son away. She shook away such thoughts, calling over the buzzing of the tool.

"What are you doing?"

"Making adjustments to the Star Saber," he replied. "Optimus will need to properly sheathe the blade in order to effectively use it in battle."

"Are you sure he'll want to?" she asked carefully.

He sighed, "Truthfully, he will use what has happened a reason to not use it while Megatron searches for any means necessary to return things in his favor. This small window of opportunity will close before we know it and we must utilize it to the best of our abilities."

"How logical," she teased. "But don't you think you should try and ease Optimus into it?"

"If it were only that simple," he sighed. "We all know how Optimus is, and how much he puts on himself. This tragic turn of events has only worsened things for his conscious. Normally, Arcee is the one to try and push him to look beyond guilt and see reason but given how this has affected her, the task it left to me."

"I'm sorry," she replied.

"No need to apologize," he turned to her, offering a ghost of a smile. "You only wish to see Optimus regain his confidence to use the sword without anything strenuous to his spark. A noble sentiment but our Prime has proven that he must be pushed sometimes in order to see reason."

"I suppose you're right," she smiled. "Don't overwork yourself. Goodnight."

"To you as well," he turned back to his work.

**Honor and Duty**

Dreadwing skidded across the dirt floor of desert terrain, Jack bracing himself as the cabin shook, and came to a stop. He got out and sorted his head out while Dreadwing transformed and scanned the area. There was a sense of familiarity but he focused on the task at hand while looking down at the organic. He spoke, "Where is it that you first entered the Shadowzone?"

"I don't know," he answered, looking around. "Everything looks the same. I don't really remember anything about this place that struck me as significant. There were some ledges, maybe a hole or two, I don't know." He glanced at Dreadwing, he seemed disapproving towards his lack of knowledge of the area. "There was also a grave, I think."

"Would you remember this hole if you saw it?"

"Yeah," he answered. The scars were starting to irritate him again; he groaned in discomfort, prompting Dreadwing to examine him. His scanned the boy's body, searching for the cause of his pain to see if he could stop it; the less of a hindrance he would be, the better. The results, according to what little medical knowledge he possessed, were shocking to say the least. He wasn't even sure humans were susceptible to _that._

"Organic," he said urgently. "It seems our time table has been shortened."

"Why?"

"You have become infected," he watched shock appear on the boy's face. "And it appears that it has been persisting for some time. The mere fact you are even alive is nothing short of a miracle from Primus himself."

"I-Infected?" he swallowed nervously. "W-With what?"

"Cosmic rust."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Was meant to be longer, but you know my pension for cliffhangers.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Arcee could feel her chassis ache in the pain that had been bothering her for the past few days, the pain that had been overshadowed by losing her partner. She stayed curled up in her quarters while it continued to fester, earning a click of her jaw every few minutes. She knew if the others found out, she'd be strapped down in sick bay while Ratchet deciphered the cause. She wasn't in the mood and decided the pain was her reward for having failed her partner again. It intensified when she went into recharge, along with the nightmares.

FlameWar continued to haunt her, her dreams imagining what she did to Jack while he was in her custody. They were vividly accurate in her mind, anger at herself for letting that happen to him. She shifted uncomfortably as she shook her head, the images fading away. She didn't want to think about what happened, but they came unbidden. She glanced at the door, a gentle rapping echoing off the metal.

"Arcee," came Ratchet's voice as he opened the door. "I need you to report to sick bay for a diagnostic. After what happened, I need to make sure the team is up to fighting conditions." She spared him a glance before looking away stubbornly. He groaned, "I am fully prepared to have Bulkhead and Bumblebee 'escort' you to sick bay if you don't feel up to walking."

"Go away," she growled.

"When I'm finished making sure you're not going to offline, then you're free to brood in peace," he ventured closer, noticing her shift in a challenging position. He got within a close enough distance to scan her for anything that required medical care. The results pinged on his scanner, earning a shocked response. His voice carried more urgency, "Report to sick bay at once. I need to confirm these results."

"Frag off," she replied, earning a growl of frustration from the medic. He turned and left, coming back with Bulkhead and Smokescreen later, as Bumblebee had been sent on a scouting mission. They grabbed the femme and carried her to med bay, the new recruit ignoring the death threats she spat at him. After depositing her in sick bay, Ratchet began running scans over her after she resigned herself to the exam. Optimus and June watched from a distance with the others as Ratchet began muttering things like "how this can be" and "impossible" to himself.

"Ratchet," Optimus addressed him, "what is wrong?"

The medic continued to speak only to himself, "All the signs are there, then why are the scans coming up negative?" Arcee now had to admit a mild interest in whatever it was Ratchet was talking about. The others exchanged worried looks as they tried to remind him to their presence. Finally, June entered med bay to address the medic directly.

"Ratchet," her voice was firm, and stirred the red and white Autobot from his mumbling. "Tell us, what is wrong with Arcee?" Ratchet seemed conflicted, as he debated with himself as to whether or not inform the others of his findings. His initial scans had picked up the signs, but the subsequent ones could find no physical ailments. June could see Ratchet was frustrated, which meant that it was one of those rare instances that he didn't understand what was happening. And a logical person like Ratchet, while he would widely accept a combination of science and sorcery, disliked things he couldn't understand.

He finally, he decided it was best to inform them all, "It would seem my scans have revealed signs of cosmic rust in Arcee." The response was a hushed silence, optic wide staring at him. Arcee's mouth was a gape at the news, a sense of dread filling her. For her part, June could recognize the urgency of the matter.

She finally found the courage to ask, "What is cosmic rust?"

"It a deadly viral strain unique to all Cybertronian life," Ratchet said, entering a clinical state. "Once infected, it spreads throughout the system and deteriorates the host's body until their spark is offlined. The entire process is an extremely painful one."

"Is there a cure?"

"One existed on Cybertron, long ago, but as you can imagine, the Great War left all supplies a rarity. If I could scan the infection, I may be able to create a cure, even with this level of technology at my disposal."

"Then what's stopping you?" she asked, her own doctoral state taking over. Everyone else had faded into the background as the two medical officers discussed amongst themselves. Arcee watched them with a faint sense of fear while trying to figure out how she became infected in the first place. Could it have been-

Ratchet's response interrupted her musings, "Because my subsequent scans reveal her to be clean of any kind of infection despite my initial scan displaying the signs." June regarded him with a confusing look, prompting further explanation. He turned to the patient, "Arcee have you been in any physical pain lately?"

"A litte…" was the answer, hesitant and careful not to reveal anything too personal.

"Specifically, in your chassis?"

"Yes," she replied.

"My scans revealed you to be in discomfort matching that of cosmic rust but the full body scans have revealed you to be clean of any infection. This is not unheard of in most cases, but the explanation is impossible to fathom." That piqued their curiosity further as the rest of the Autobots watched in silence. Optimus' own optics widened at the realization but now he too appeared to be contemplating the possibility of it all. Bulkhead and Smokescreen found themselves at a lost for an explanation, waiting patiently for someone to speak up.

June probed the issue further, "So what is the explanation."

"The only way Arcee could show the symptoms of cosmic rust without having an actual infection were if she were feeling the effects through another," he was hesitant with her next answer. "Her sparkmate if you will." Bulkhead and Smokescreen's optics widened as they too began processing the new information.

"Sparkmate?"

"The Cybertronian equivalent to an significant other," Arcee was the one to answer. "Sort of like being married, and sort of not. While a bond was often formed by lovers, it wasn't unheard of that two 'Bots who shared a close bond of friendship became bonded. But the theory doesn't work."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not bonded with anyone," she all but snapped. This wasn't a subject she wanted broached, not in front of everyone. "There's no one I'd ever considered making a such a commitment with."

"Therein lies the mystery," Ratchet said.

**Honor and Duty**

"So you're saying the 'Cons might have a cure?" Jack asked Dreadwing, still processing the information he'd just been told. He had somehow come down with a terminal Cybertronian ailment. As if things weren't bad enough already! Now, according to Dreadwing, his only chance for survival would be to let himself be captured and treated on the _Nemesis_. That was assuming Megatron wouldn't think it was a fitting punishment for him and let him suffer.

"Our records hold the necessary information for treating cosmic rust," he affirmed. "Assuming Knock Out decides to treat you and not complain about his own well-being."

"Was that a joke?"

"No," he growled, turning to begin their search of the area for any way out. "Tell me, organic, how did you come down with this illness?"

"I don't know," he searched his memories for anything that might indicate how this whole thing might've started. He then remembered FlameWar; he'd never seen her fully, only shadows. Could she have contracted the disease at some point and passed on to him? She'd certainly stuck her sharp digits into his skin enough times to infect him. What was it, a contingency in case she failed to kill him?

He relayed his theory to Dreadwing, who nodded in agreement, "A likely scenario. Even in the thralls of madness, only FlameWar would maintain her tactical mind."

"Nice to know you're impressed," he rolled his eyes. "So why haven't I died yet?"

"Unknown," he answered. "It may be that you are stronger than most of your species, or that you are simply lucky and the infection hasn't spread far enough yet. No matter the explanation, the sooner we find a way out of this dimension, the sooner we can get you to the _Nemesis_."

"To be a prisoner?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Better that than dead," Dreadwing smirked uncharacteristically. "By the way, _that_ was a joke." Jack simply glowered at the 'Con and followed him as they continued their way through the area, some of it looking familiar.

The words were unbidden on his lips, "I'm sorry for possibly infecting you."

"It would not be the first time I have battled through illness," he replied. "A warrior's measure is tested in every form of battle, be it combat of the physical or genetic nature." A movement out of the corner of his optics caught his attention, instinctively reaching for his weapon only to find sword gone. "Organic, stay behind me."

Jack did as he was told and looked around for whatever had made him so tense. He could only see the desert plain they were trapped in. Dreadwing was following the figure with keen optics, ready to strike down whomever it was. He calculated the next place it world appeared and swerved to meet the figure, optics widening.

"B-Brother?" was the weak statement as he gazed upon the mutilated chassis of his twin, Skyquake.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Skyquake? Jack was sure he'd heard that name before when Optimus and Bumblebee returned from a mission. It must have been just after he'd met the Autobots because the details were sketchy in his mind. Despite all that, he'd never forget encountering the undead Decepticon's form. Judging from the identical design and the shock on Dreadwing's face, Jack measured to guess some connection.

"Brother?" That was the nail in the coffin; he remembered being informed of Dreadwing's arrival and his connection to Skyquake. Jack could certainly understand why the 'Con would be angry at the Autobots for killing his brother. But the fact he remained so loyal to a cause that would welcome a material that brought back from the dead baffled Jack. After all, Dreadwing was, if anything else, honorable.

Skyquake, his chasis still bearing the damage inflicted upon him pre and post mortem, his arm still missing, slowly drew closer. The only response he could make was somewhere between a moan and a growl. His optics, lit purple by the dark substance in his body, registered no recognition for his twin. That didn't deter him, however.

"Skyquake! It is I, Dreadwing, your brother!" The Seeker could not believe what was unfolding before him. He had been informed by Lord Megatron that his brother had perished, yet here he was. "Brother, what has happened to you?"

The undead creature replied with the same sound, its only remaining arm outstretched, claws at the ready. Jack thought it was time for them to leave, "Dreadwing! Come on, we have to go, now!"

The azure Seeker paid him no mind, focus fixed on his brother, "Do you not recognize me, brother? Can you not feel our sibling bond?" He wasn't sure whether who was asking; Skyquake or himself, but he had to try something. Skyquake was never this feral, but there was no mistaking it, it was his brother. It had to be him!

"Dreadwing!" Jack cried. "You can't let that thing get to close to you or-,"

"Silence!' he roared at Jack. "You will not address my brother like that!"

Jack recoiled, but managed to yell back, "Dreadwing, we have to go _now!_ Whoever he was before, he's not your brother anymore. And we have to get out of here, right now!"

_This cannot be,_ Dreadwing told himself, unable to fathom what was happening. Skyquake continued to encroach on them, eyes unfocused and still roaring like a rabid animal. Jack fought off the slight urge to run off and leave Dreadwing to try and communicate his brother in vein. Whether he liked it or not, Dreadwing was perhaps his best shot at getting out of this nightmare. If he was to survive this cosmic rust he was infected with, he needed Dreadwing.

The zombified Cybertronian was close enough now that his claws grazed Dreadwing's armor. Dreadwing could feel no resonance from his brother, no sign that his spark was anywhere within this creature. It curled its servo into a fist and attempted to strike Dreadwing, who dodged it. Its fist slammed into the stone of the cliff, crushing the rock beneath it as chunks fell down. Jack moved out of the way to avoid being crushed.

"Dreadwing!" he tried again.

"Skyquake…" he couldn't understand, this wasn't his brother. He wasn't even sure whatever this was could even be considered a living being. It took him a moment to realize what exactly had taken hold of his brother. Dark Energon. But when? How?

Jack backed away from Dreadwing as Skyquake managed to grasp his twin's arm. The undead Cybertronian didn't seemed to know what to do without his other arm. His stubbled wiggled around as he roared in his brother's horrified face. Instinctively, he pushed him away and took a step back. He needed to think of something.

He turned, grabbing Jack, and put some distance between himself and his twin.

"What are we gonna do?" Jack asked.

"I… do not know," he said hesitantly. "But there has to be a way to reach him."

"I think… he's gone, Dreadwing," Jack said carefully. "He's running on Dark Energon and it usually doesn't leave the mind intact." He wasn't an expert but what from what he was seeing, and accounts from Arcee regarding Cliffjumper, there was little hope for restoring his brother. Judging from the rage seething behind Dreadwing's optics, he could tell that wasn't the answer he would hear or accept.

"For now, we must keep moving until a solution presents itself," he decided. "If we can return to the proper dimension, then perhaps there will be a way to restore Skyquake to his proper mind set." This time, Jack didn't argue.

**Honor and Duty**

Miko and Rafael had returned to base to be informed of the situation, which proved a welcome distraction from Jack's fate. They were both giving their two cents on Arcee's situation and how she found herself bonded to someone. They had ran through the Decepticons, hiding behind their guardians from the femme's glare at the mention of Starscream. Arcee dismissed all their suggestions and unlikely and stupid. Optimus had chosen to move his conversation with the military tribunal into another part of the base.

"Optimus Prime," General Mitchell began, voice betraying no emotion. "As I've mentioned before, we are not seeking to impede upon your operations on Earth, but we must question whether or not these children are safe in your presence. The President is still upset you kept their involvement a secret from her."

"And for that, I apologize," the Prime inclined his head in a bow. "But I thought it would be best they remained a secret, lest enemies such as MECH attempt to use them against your country for leverage." In truth, it had been his and Agent Fowler's decision to keep their existence a secret, but he would not say anything to implicate the man.

"Even so," Colonel Amado interjected. "The fact remains that this Jackson Darby was deliberately taken into a potential battle scenario and lost his life. You claimed to protect these children to the best of your abilities. Well, obviously, they weren't enough."

"Of that, I am aware," he replied gravely. Mitchel snuck a glare at Amado, who looked somewhat sheepish. A new image flickered, revealing the President of the United States.

"I think we have heard enough," she said. "Optimus Prime, you still have three civilians in your care. Miko Nakadai, a foreign exchange student from Japan, Rafael Esquivel, twelve years old, and the deceased's mother, June Darby, correct?"

"Indeed, Madame President," he confirmed.

"And the Autobot who brought Mr. Darby into the battle, Smokescreen? Where is he?"

"As his commanding officer, I take full responsibility for his actions," Optimus stated. "It was my decision to place Jack with Smokescreen, the results are my responsibility to bear."

"True enough," General Mitchel agreed. "But I too would a word with this Smokescreen? According to a report from Agent Fowler, he did not take part in your war?"

"His role was not that of an active duty officer, no."

"So he's the most inexperienced member of your team, then?" Colonel Amado observed. "And you placed him Mr. Darby in his care?"

"Rather, I placed Smokescreen under Jack's guidance, a way of showing him the value of protecting humanity. The results were unexpected, as well as tragic, but I retain responsibility for the outcome nonetheless."

"A noble gesture, Optimus Prime," the President commended. "But in order for us to make a proper decision, we must interview all those directly involved in this incident."

Someone appeared on Mitchel's screen and whispered something into his ear, "Right then, Madame President, I'm afraid some urgent news has reached me. I must see to it."

"Of course, General," she dismissed him. "And we that, we shall bring this meeting to a close. When next we speak, I would very much like to meet this Smokescreen if that would be acceptable." Optimus knew the President was kind enough to make any order sound like a request, but still hold enough authority for her message to get through. A trait he admired in her.

"I will arrange it, Madame President," he bowed his head once more. Both the President and Colonel Amado nodded and turned off their screens.

Dreadwing and Jack must have ran through the entire area over a dozen times, but they remained close enough for Skyquake to follow them. Jack gave up on trying to convince Dreadwing, it was a lost cause. He felt unbidden memories of his father lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines. He was sitting in a chair beside the bed, holding his father's police cap, while his mother argued with the doctor who told her nothing more could be done for him. He remembered spending the rest of the night crying because his father died soon after.

Jack had never gotten to say a proper goodbye and still felt his father had been cheated in death. He wasn't gunned down by some burglar trying to harm some kid, he was killed by a man who didn't want a traffic ticket. Jack found it impossible to hate the man because of how much remorse he'd shown. That did little to erase the longing in his heart though. He shook away the memories and tried to reason with Dreadwing again.

"Dreadwing, I know this is hard, trust me I do. But your brother isn't there anymore, his spark left his body when he died. It's only right that you let his body follow."

Dreadwing didn't snap at him like before, merely coming to a stop as he closed his eyes. Why was this happening, his brother being here? And why was it this organic was bearing witness to him in his most vulnerable moment? It made no sense to him, yet the boy's words did. His twin perished with honor but that honor had been stripped away with this unnatural resurrection.

But there was something in his spark that refused to let go of his brother, an unbidden attachment that under normal circumstances, would be viewed as a weakness. His internal battle allowed Skyquake within distance of them again. His snarling and flailing limbs only made the memories Dreadwing bore of him worse. Memories of a proud Seeker that had been amongst Megatron's most loyal followers. It was dishonor to his brother to allow him to remain in such a sate.

He knew what had to be done, but his spark still ached. He set the organic down and barked at him to hide somewhere, not wanting him to bear witness to what was about to take place. He forced himself to look into his brother's optics, hoping to find some semblance of the warrior he'd once been. He forced himself to do what he had to; send his fist through his brother's spark chamber, grasping the Dark Energon. He looked into his brother's optics, and thought he saw something akin to gratitude.

He gently lay his brother down on to grown as his optics flickered offline.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

The moments Jack spent waiting for Dreadwing seemed like hours, anxiety and fear keeping him grounded to the spot. He watched from the corner as the Seeker took to burying his brother. The least the dimension ensured was that the grave would remained undisturbed for the time being. Dreadwing deserved that amount of comfort at least. Still, Jack's emotions were waging a civil war inside him.

He could certainly understand losing a loved one, but that did little to change the fact that Dreadwing was a Decepticon. How many Autobots had lost someone they loved to him? How often did he justify putting them in through the same kind of trauma? But that wasn't fair, because this was the _same._ Dreadwing had to kill his brother with his own hands.

His mother had gone through a similar dilemma when it came time to let his father go. She fought as hard as she could, using every bit of medical expertise she'd learned. But in the end, the result was the same. It pained Jack to even think about it. He wasn't able to be there for his mother, but how could he be there someone like Dreadwing?

The Seeker had only hours ago told him that he would hand him over to Megatron without a moment's hesitation. He made clear from his preference of the term "organic" that he had little respect for him. All of these things and more were enough reasons to dislike his company, but Jack was sympathetic to a fault. He'd never be able to live with himself, never be able to face his friends again, if he didn't try. As Dreadwing approached, his expression somber and crestfallen, Jack found himself at a loss for words.

"Organic," his voice no longer carried the pride of a loyal warrior. It was that of a broken man, "Tell me, were the Autobots responsible for this." He said their name like it was a curse on his tongue. Jack fought of the anger at the implication and tried to form the right words.

Unfortunately, that only sparked the flame of Dreadwing's ire, "ANSWER ME!"

Jack took a step back, fear gripping for a moment, "N-no! They didn't do this, they would never-"

"Then who was it?" he voice trembled, anger threatening to spill over. Jack found himself searching through his memories, back to the day when he first entered the Shadowzone. It came to him, but should he tell Dreadwing? He could lie and say he didn't know, and Dreadwing would be none the wiser.

_But I'd know,_ he thought to himself. "Starscream."

"Starscream," the name was barely a whisper from Dreadwing, shock and realization finally setting in. He trembled, as if something inside him was threatening to snap. And it did. Dreadwing aimed an animal like roar at the sky, booming throughout the area. Jack felt fear grip him again as he wondered what would happen next. Had he made a mistake in telling him?

When he finally calmed down, Dreadwing continued to tremble, chassis heaving as if he were taking deep breaths. Before Jack could say anything, the Seeker strode past him and continued their search, Jack following. He didn't know what else to do or what he could say to alleviate the tension. It wasn't like when he comforted Arcee. He didn't have to worry about being ripped apart.

Her demeanor immediately made her stick out amongst the Autobots, warding off any attempt at social interaction. But it never seemed to be an issue with Jack, he didn't know why. And no matter how strong her barriers, they yielded to him in the end. But how could he reach someone like Dreadwing? Why should he even bother?

The words were already spilling from his lips, "I'm sorry…"

Dreadwing turned to face him, optics burning with rage at his audacity. To his own amazement, Jack held his ground while the Seeker tried to burn him with his gaze. He only hoped his face did not betray the fear building inside.

"Be _silent._"

"I know what you're going through, to an extent."

"And how could _you possibly_ know? You have barely lived even the tiniest fraction of a Cybertronian's lifetime! What in the Pits of Kaon could you have experienced to possibly justify this perceived kinship?"

"I said it was to an extent," Jack was sure his face was calm, but could feel his heart beating from the excitement. "I lost my father when I was just a kid. He was like Skyquake, dying without any form of honor. His death was pointless, it didn't do anything but cause pain for me, my mother, and the one who killed him."

"And how does this pertain to me?" his voice no longer carried the threat of death, but remained angry nonetheless. "It still does not change the fact that you know _nothing_ about me or my brother! You never endured the trials we did…" His voice trailed off as unwanted memories surfaced. Jack saw a chink in the armor and decided to go for it.

"Then why don't you tell me?"

"What?"

"Talk to me about what you and your brother went through and it might help you come to terms with what happened? I bet I'd be more willing to listen than any of the Decepticons."

"The Decepticons have no time to mourn over the past, as I told you," he growled. Why had he even allowed this conversation to go this far instead of merely silencing the boy? His first thought had been because of his duty as Megatron's 1st Lieutenant. It was not his place to dispense punishment on the boy. But for the first the time in many cycles, he wasn't sure of that reasoning.

"I promise, it's just between you and me," Jack pressed on. Dreadwing simply turned around and continued along his way, earning a sigh of defeat from him. He could at least say his tried and meet his friends again with a clear conscious. He followed Dreadwing, the tension gone for the most part with everything having been said. What happened next surprised him.

"Skyquake and I were born of the split-spark, a rarity among Cybertronians," Dreadwing began. "we spent much of our lives in Kaon, fighting in the gladiatorial games for the amusement of others. We were trained under the guidance of Maximus, the closest thing we had to a sire."

Jack listened, keeping his thoughts about this new information to himself.

**A/N: I know it's short but I hoped you enjoyed.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

"We were trained in the ways of gladiatorial combat," Dreadwing continued as he and Jack treaded along through the canyon. Jack had remained respectfully silent as the Seeker went about his story. He'd managed to crack the shell he'd formed around himself and wasn't going to do or say anything that would ruin it. Even though his gaze appeared far off, he still knew where he was going, "We trained vigorously under Maximus for cycles. We knew better than to expect rest given how often we were thrown into battle."

"You fought even when you were kids?" Jack couldn't hide the disgust in his voice.

"These were cruel times in Kaon, only the strong survived, the weak were always the first to fall. Only if both warriors had proven themselves equally 'entertaining' were they allowed to live. If you had the crowd, your life was extended for as long as their interest in you lasted."

"That sounds familiar," Jack pondered, having heard a history similar to this before. "And how did this 'Maximus' become a gladiator?"

"He had served as a warrior in one of the old armies, their general, and led them to many victories. But when the High Council was erected, they found no use for warriors in their pursuit of peace. The armies were cast aside, some regiments being reformatted into the Autobot Elite Guard."

_The faction Smokescreen trained to join_, Jack thought to himself. He never thought to question the 'Bots about the origins of some of Cybertron's historical locations and figures. He knew it must have hurt them too much to think about their dead world. Yet with Dreadwing, he felt he could learn more without hesitation. Perhaps there was something to "looking to the future" after all.

He paused a moment as a wave of pain burned in his chest, dropping to his knees and coughing. He could taste the iron taste of blood in his throat but fought to keep it down. Dreadwing paused to wait for the episode to finish, knowing he could do nothing. Jack struggled to his feet as the pain died down, his head spinning and vision blurry. The cosmic rust chose the most inopportune times to remind him of its presence.

"Do you require rest?"

"N-No…," he took a deep breath of air. "I'm fine."

"You push yourself beyond your limits, organic," the Seeker stated. "We will rest and continue when you are strong enough to travel." Jack reluctantly agreed and seated himself on a rock, taking in his own appearance. His clothes were worn and tattered from extended use, caked in dirt. He could feel the itch of his facial hair sprouting from his skin. He needed desperately needed a shower.

Dreadwing continued his tale, "Maximus was a warrior through and through and could find nothing to take the place of the pride he'd once felt battling for glory and honor. Eventually, he took to the gladiator games in order to sate his warrior's spirit. He found no joy in killing for sport, but he poor conditions of Kaon left little alternatives."

"I can relate," Jack said, not sure why he was interrupting. "Things aren't exactly going well in my country and the only work and I can get is working at a fast food joint. Not my dream job, but it helps my mother pay the bills." He glanced at Dreadwing he raised an optic ridge in confusion.

"Why do you not join your government's military? You certainly have a warrior's spirit from what I can tell. You would be of little threat to the Decepticons, but it seems a more appealing position than serving others."

"I'd still be serving the people," he pointed out. "It'd just be under different circumstances. Besides, that means I'd have to leave him and… well it's complicated." He didn't want to say because it would mean leaving his mother alone. It felt strange to say that someone who didn't have any regard for his personal life. Even with Arcee, it was not subject he liked to broach. "So, this Maximus must have taught you some pretty useful techniques to survive."

"He instructed us in the way of the sword. I found a natural talent for it, while Skyquake could only attain a basic understanding. We were often paired together in combat. We served to strengthen our talents while compensating for each other's faults. Under his instruction, we survived to our final match."

"'Final match'?"

"If a warrior won 99 matches, he was let go upon his 100th victory," he visibly tensed up. "Since we fought together, our number was doubled. Upon 199th victory, we were sent into battle… against Maximus himself."

"They made you fight your own mentor?"

"He found no equal in singles competition, and we found none in the dual matches, therefore it was decided that we would battle him. Of course, Skyquake and myself were hesitant, having seen him as the sire we never had. Maximus, however, asked that we honor him by fighting to the peak of our abilities. And so began, a terrible battle…"

**Honor and Duty**

_The twin brothers had faced numerous trials and tribulations during their tenure in the games, having faced opponents who themselves were close to freedom. Each battle had left its mark either physically or mentally as they were often forced to find new and "innovative" way to excite the crowd. Skyquake only found bitterness in what they were forced to do to keep their attention for this long. Dreadwing resigned himself to their fate. He attempted to ease his brother._

"_Our time as gladiators is at its end, brother," he assured. "One more victory, and we shall be free. What we have had to endure will be nothing more than a mere memory."_

"_It does not change the bitterness," Skyquake deadpanned. "We have been forced to dishonor the fallen, disgrace ourselves for _their_ entertainment. It sickens me so."_

"_Remember sire's teachings. In this arena, we either kill or die, and we have come too far to give up now." Skyquake sighed and nodded as the time arrived for what would be their final bout. He could hear the cheering of the crowd as they neared the entrance to the arena. They had already been sated by the latest victory of Megatronus. The brothers found themselves fortunate they had never faced him in battle._

_As the light of the arena appeared at the end of the long tunnel, Dreadwing could not help but ponder what had been the previous megacycle. What would they do with their newfound freedom? He'd been chided for his overconfidence by Maximus, but how could he not feel like this at their final bout? Thanks to his teachings, they had survived to this most pivotal of days, days few ever reached. He no longer had to worry about appeasing the crowd, they'd been promised that much._

_It would ease the guilt he felt in his spark to send an opponent off with honor. They reached the entrance to the arena and found the crowd roaring at their arrival. They had built up quite a reputation with their victories. Skyquake regarded them with a stone faced look of disgust while Dreadwing remained ready to face their opponent. He felt especially confident in their battle today._

_They'd been informed they would only be facing one more opponent, which filled him with the hope of impending freedom. With their combined abilities, they could overcome any opponent. He looked across the battlefield as the remains from the last battle were cleared. Their opponent had yet to arrive, giving them time to strategize. From his lateness, he was probably one of the older mechs, experienced but slow._

_That would play to their advantage as they prepared once the door opened, revealing their opponent. The crowd stood on their pedes, cheering as one of their greatest entertainers stood before them. Clad in armor fashioned from the opponents his blade had slain, he stood at an imposing height. Optics, a cold steel azure, stared into the shocked crimson of the two brothers, a metallic beard concealing his face. On his back, a sword lay there ready to send its victims to an honorable demise._

_A disembodied voice called out to them, "Now, stand on your pedes for Kaon's greatest champion, The Great General Maximus!" In response to his introduction, he raised his arm to the crowd, his subtle movements drawing a roar of respect from them._

"_Kaon," his voice, graveled from time and battle. "Shall I begin!?"_

_They crowd voice their approval._

"_Dreadwing, Skyquake," he turned to his two disciple's, his two sons. "You do me great honor in having come so far. Now, I shall impart your final lesson." He drew the sword from his back and prepared for battle. "No longer am I your teacher, but now I stand as your obstacle to freedom."_

"_Sire…" Skyquake's whisper was drowned out by the crowd's roars._

"_Why?" Dreadwing could not fight the sudden sickness in his tanks._

"_I have nothing to gain from freedom from these Pits," he said, slowly approaching them. "I am a warrior, born to the sword, and my cycle is nearly at its end. Today, we shall see if you are worthy of sending this old fool to the Well with honor. Prove yourselves, for shall show no mercy."_

**Honor and Duty**

Jack listened to the story in a mixture of awe and horror as Dreadwing continued, "It was grand battle, many times the tide shifting from us to Maximus. Finally, Skyquake was able to land a mortal wound on him. I took it upon myself to send him to the Well of Allsparks with honor."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, what's done is done. As I said, I do not look to the past, no matter how ancient… or recent." Jack couldn't help the sorrow he felt for Dreadwing, starting to feel something akin to anger. To think that there were Cybertronians who enjoyed watching families battle to the death. He also felt a burning hate towards Starscream; the treacherous Seeker had already caused Arcee so much pain and now desecrating Skyquake's remains and letting him wander in this state. He never thought he could ever feel something so close to hatred before.

He felt another wave of pain, coughing up the blood as the burning returned. His body tensed in agony, face turning red. He seized for longer than before it finally stopped, his heart beating rapidly.

"We are running out of time," Dreadwing stood. "I should have realized the infection would spread faster in you since your mass is many times smaller than an average Cybertronian. If we do not find a way out of this Shadowzone soon, I fear you are the next one I shall bury."

**A/N: I hope you had a good read.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

Arcee could feel the cosmic rust getting worst as the waves of pain increased, the intervals in between shortening. From what she'd heart about cosmic rust through another, she would, depending on her strength of will, survive if her "sparkmate" (she hated using that term for an unknown party) didn't. She still had a hard time adjusting to this news, coupled with the loss of Jack. Only a few days had passed by and Ratchet came no closer to finding out who was the infected party or how she became bonded with them in the first place. She the thought that it might be a Decepticon.

How could she ever bond with any of those war-mongering tyrants after all they had done? How was this even possible to begin with? She knew enough about spark-bonding to know the impossibility. The whole thing drove her crazy so she put as far from her mind as possible. The pains felt through the bond, however, continued to remind her of it, which did nothing for her already poor demeanor.

Ratchet had insisted she remain in the medical wing until he could devise a cure and figure out how to administer it to whomever was the one infected. Of course she objected; if it meant a 'Con would get sent to the scrap, she'd endure the pain and live through it. But Optimus and the medic were in agreement that the situation couldn't be left up to chance. When the cure was ready, and was in enough doses, they would attempt contact with the _Nemesis_ and bargain with Megatron for them to administer the cure. This week was just getting better and better.

Miko, Raf, and Bumblebee had tried to cheer her up but she ignored them and only conversed with June. Their mutual grief allowed the air of awkwardness that had always been present (at least as far as Arcee was concerned) and she learned a great deal about the woman. She found herself revealing certain parts of her early life before the War as well. Arcee also let it slip once that Jack confided in her about his father. Though the femme was embarrassed, June was willing to share things about her husband.

_"I can still remember how happy he was when he passed the graduation exam,"_ she had said. _"I swear I thought I was going to sedate him. Of course, I think I may have damaged his hearing when I passed by nursing exam and started working at the hospital."_

Apparently, they enjoyed televised interpretations of their practices.

"_We'd stay up all night watching police and medical dramas, Jack loved them too. Of course, we waited until he was old enough before letting watch anything too explicit. He was always so happy when there was good ending."_

Arcee couldn't help but notice the longing in June's eyes for those moments once again; she could relate. She would give anything for the days she had back on Cybertron when there was no War, no suffering, no wondering if the next battle would be the last. But now she couldn't think of her life without having known Jack in some form. But now, not only had she lost three partners, June had lost her husband and son and her bloodline was broken. She had muttered a curse at Smokescreen but June had told her not to place all the blame on him.

_"If anything, at least you can know Jack didn't… at least it wasn't in vain. Now Smokescreen understands the value of friendship and why he has to stop this war. I don't think he's ever seen a friend die before. Now he knows the horror of seeing one die, the guilt of not preventing it. It will help him learn, and maybe teach what being a great soldier really means."_

Arcee had to give the woman credit; perhaps having traits similar to a Prime weren't exclusive to Jack after all. She smiled at the memory as Ratchet continued working on the cure, "I don't suppose I can still talk you out of this?"

"You can try, but you will fail," he replied, back still turned. "Believe me, Arcee, were it not for your well-being, I would never consider helping a Decepticon, assuming your apparent sparkmate is aligned with their faction. But we cannot take the chance of losing you to this illness as well."

"And what if, hypothetically speaking, it was someone like Megatron?"

"Is that an admission?"

"Is that a joke?" she feigned shock. "I didn't realize you still had it in you."

"Well, I find some humor lifts the tension from most situations," she could hear the faintest smile in his voice. It was rare for Ratchet's tone to be anything other than clean sarcasm and irritation. So far, this loss was bringing them together. Still, she would trade this newfound closeness just to have Jack back and she was certain the others felt the same. She glanced at Bulkhead and Miko talking about something.

Both the exuberant Asian girl and Raf had taken this all so very hard, enough that the latter had been spending time away from the base. 'Bee was worried about his young charge and the effect this was having on him. He was afraid Raf blamed the Autobots and was trying to distance himself from them. The rest of the team had told him not to worry, June saying that Raf was going through his grief, but the young Scout remained worried. Miko had no longer followed them through into battle after Bulkhead's near-death but this was having a major effect on her as well.

Despite her rather fierce personality when it came to Jack telling her not do anything reckless, she cared deeply about him. The three of them had formed a singular bond as strong as the individual ones they had forged with each of their Autobot guardians. In their unorthodox family, they were the siblings who would do anything for each other. Arcee wondered how long it had taken each member of Team Prime to form the bonds they had formed almost over-night. The alarm blared indicating the arrival of Agent Fowler.

The man entered the silo, his ever present frown deeper than usual, "Prime!"

From the hallways, Optimus Prime entered the main silo, ready to endure the brunt of Fowler's fury, for whatever reason he'd chosen to unleash it on them. "Agent Fowler, how may we be of service?"

"The military tribunal is getting restless," he reported. "Some of the higher-ups are getting a little restless. The President can't keep them from making a decision from much longer. First off, they want to speak with Smokescreen about what's happened, then they want to talk with Miko and Raf." He turned to the Asian girl, "I'd suggest dressing in a more formal attire."

"Whatever," she stuck her tongue at the man, who rolled his eyes.

"Lastly, we need to convince them not to ship you off to some island in the middle of nowhere and leave all this tech for the picking."

"Rest assured, Agent Fowler, we will do all in our power to restore your government's faith in us." The Prime promised. Fowler, looking a little more guilty, nodded and left. Arcee could tell this was also having an effect on him as well. He'd become rather close to the children, to an extent, and this had hit him pretty hard. She could tell he was kicking himself for not forcibly taking the children away when he had the chance.

"By the way, I need you to bridge to where we had our little throw down with Skyquake. After relaying my report, the Powers That Be want to make sure there aren't any more surprise 'Cons waiting there for us. We'll get to that tomorrow."

"Very well, Agent Fowler," Optimus agreed as the Agent left.

Arcee felt another wave of pain wash over her and groaned in annoyance.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Bit of news, for those who don't read Foxbear's Deviantart account. Greg Weisman (creator of Gargoyles, showrunner of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice, all critically acclaimed shows) will be writing some episode for Beast Hunters, due out March, 22****nd****.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

Dreadwing observed the human as he carried him through this endless canyon, hands clutching his infected torso, skin flushed, and breathing haphazard. Indeed, this boy was stronger than most Cybertronians to have survived this long given his mass. The virus should have already coursed its way, full circle, through his veins and finished him. Dreadwing didn't bother to deduce any form of explanation to this phenomenon. As 1st Lieutenant to Megatron, even if he was thought to be deceased, it was his duty to ensure the human be brought for due punishment.

Through he appeared to already be in excruciating at moment, given his crumpled form gently moving around in his servo. His own experience with cosmic rust had been no less painful, perhaps more so given how it slowly spread through his systems. He'd almost sent a prayer of gratitude to Primus when a cure was finally administered and he returned to active duty. And by then, he was already a hardened warrior; this boy held no indication that he'd ever taken a life. He stopped his musings, having found it pointless.

He had to focus his scanners for some kind of energy source that might lead them out of this dimension. Though it appeared to be the contrary, they were not wandering but Dreadwing was following a faint energy trail left by his twin. The Dark Energon mixed the energy of a ground-bridge had left residual effects on his brother. The trail was faint, eroded by time, but got stronger as he followed. A groan of pain drew his attention away from trail.

"Do you require rest, organic?" the Seeker's voice betrayed no vestige of care or concern. Despite that, he couldn't deny watching the human struggle drew a small amount of sympathy (and an even smaller amount of respect for lasting this long) from him. His answer came in a fierce look, determination clear on his face despite its flush. Dreadwing continued on as planned. He returned to scanning for the energy, the signals getting stronger.

He felt himself wondering how much time had actually passed while they were in this Shadowzone. The organic explained they were moving faster than in their regular dimensional frequency. That led him to assume the amount of time that passed through their eyes may not have applied to the other dimension. But he would determine that later, once they were free of this realm, all memories of it left behind. He glanced back down to the human, watching him gently writhe as the pain grew more intense.

In truth, he had not been told what offense the boy had committed, only that among his duties as 1st Lieutenant was to see to the boy's capture. There had been no further emphasis on what to do, so Dreadwing took it as meaning he needed to ensure the boy made it to the _Nemesis_ and was properly treated. Perhaps it sounded…illogical to _others_ but that was how Dreadwing went about executing his orders. And it had proven to be a sound strategy until, and would no doubt continue to serve him in the future. The boy had to endure the pain in the interim, but he'd already shown a determination to survive.

"Dreadwing…," the soft voice reached him. The boy was struggling with each breath as he looked up at the Decepticon. "You never said how you wound up joining Megatron."

An optic ridge raised in response, "I didn't think such a story would interest you, given your obvious hostility toward Lord Megatron."

"M-M-May as well… pass the time with… s-s-something."

"After we had attained our freedom, Skyquake and I found that our lives had only changed little. There was little energon for the populace. Shelters were taken, sometimes resulting in the shedding of the precious energy. Many expired after only a few days. I then understood why the inhabitants chose to drown their sorrows with the blood sport of the arena. In fact, many became gladiators simply for food and shelter."

"I found myself asking, 'Was this the freedom we had so fought for? The freedom for which we had killed our sire for?' It was infuriating, hearing about those in Iacon who prospered while we suffered. Skyquake and I soon found ourselves serving others with our gift of battle, in exchange for shelter, however long they could provide it."

"You were… m-mercenaries?"

"Of a sort," he paused, grimacing at the harsh memory of those times. "We found that still had to anything to survive the next cycle. I had once even entertained the thought of returning to arena, where we would at least be sheltered and given purpose again. Not long afterward, the gladiator Megatronus began speaking of change. And we found ourselves drawn back to the arena, simply to listen to what he envisioned as an ideal Cybertron."

"Taking it by force," Jack's grimace deepened as he thought about what Ratchet had told him. He adjusted himself in Dreadwing's servo, moving to a cooler side, the cold metal a welcome contrast the burning he felt inside.

"He knew the High Council would not allow Kaon equality unless he proved capable of taking it if the need arose. And soon it did, after the naming of Optimus Prime. And I'm sure you know the rest."

So Dreadwing didn't know the whole truth, or at least the truth Ratchet had divulged to him and others. Jack knew there were two sides to every story (more than two in the case of this war) and it gave him something to think about for a while.

**Honor and Duty**

Agent Fowler stood on the helipad of Fort Bragg, in California, awaiting the arrival of General Scott Mitchell. He had been told by General Bryce that he would be accompanying Fowler to the Autobot base. He wasn't sure how felt about that. Despite Mitchell's service record and given he was one of the few brass that wasn't giving the 'Bots the third degree, Fowler wasn't sure how he'd like the attitude at base with the kids around. Not that there was much of one with all that had happened.

He watched the Army personnel go about their usual duties on base, a feeling of nostalgia passing over him. It wasn't long ago that he was a Ranger, going through the drills, conversing with his unit, and serving his country on the frontlines instead of behind the scenes. He and his team always used to badmouth the government "spooks" every chance they got. He wondered how many of them, of those who, hopefully, still alive, would think he was no better for what he was doing now. The only one who'd known about his transfer was his second-in-command, who'd been less than thrilled.

Fowler wondered if he was on base right and, if so, if he could go see him and sort things out, or at least try to. The approaching figure put to rest that idea as Scott Mitchell came into view, dressed in a khaki t-shirt, camo cargo pants, and standard issue boots. His black hair was swept back, a few lines gray showing, his face having a few harsh angles but overall looking younger than he actually was. Maybe there was something to being a General that Fowler didn't about that kept you looking young. His outfit was no surprise given the temperature of California.

Fowler was dressed in a similar attire, and snapped to attention, saluting the General, "General Mitchell, sir."

Mitchell returned the salute, "At ease, Agent Fowler. Sorry for the wait, I was dealing with a few last minute details before we departed."

"Not a problem, sir. Watching our boys out there, training for the next fight, gave something to do. That's a nice group you've got out there."

"To be honest, my actual group just rents the space," Mitchell replied. He wasn't about to go any further into details and Folwer wasn't going to ask. That's not why he was here. "So tell, Agent Fowler, you're former Army, right?"

"Yes sir," he replied. "Spent a good twenty years as a Ranger until I was transferred to General Bryce's command. Then, of course, I was given the assignment of acting as liaison to the Autobots. I warn you, sir, they're not like the military we've got. Prime's a little more lenient than you might be used to. But when it comes time to take on the 'Cons, they're a well-oiled machine.

"Good to hear," was the reply. "I'm not here to judge, Agent Fowler. I'm just here to accompany you on the exploration of where the Decepticon known as 'Skyquake' was found and determine there are no more surprises for us." The remainder of the ride had the two men divulge a few things about each other, more personal rather than work. By the end of it, Fowler was sure that Mitchell was an honest guy who the 'Bots could trust. The chopper landed on the helipad of Autobot Outpost Omega One and both men got out.

The entered the elevator and waited, Fowler felt a sense of trepidation as he wondered what the General's reaction would be. It was one thing to speak with the 'Bots via video chat, but another to actually meet them. The elevator opened and they stepped through, Fowler watching Mitchell's reaction. He went from stern to slightly taken back by the appearance of the 'Bots. Ratchet was in sick bay, tending to Arcee, both of them watching, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were with Miko and Raf, and Smokescreen was speaking with Nurse Darby about something. Fowler was almost amused as the General straightened himself.

"Prime!" Fowler called as the leader of the Autobots made his appearance. He glanced down at the two men. "You remember General Mitchell? He'll be joining us on the exploration of the canyon today."

"Greetings, General," the Prime gave a slight bow of his head. "It is a pleasure to meet with you face-to-face."

"Likewise, Optimus Prime," Fowler had to give Mitchell credit for how quickly he recovered from his shock. "I hope my inclusion doesn't upset you in any way."

"Not at all, General," replied Optimus. "We will be ready to depart shortly. Please, take the time to meet our human allies, Miko Nakadai, Rafael Esquivel, and June Darby." Mitchell walked over to the area usually occupied by the humans. He caught the rather cautious looks the other Autobots were giving him, but chose to ignore them.

"General," June was the first to meet, extending her hand.

He shook it, "Nurse, it's a pleasure to meet you." For a moment, Fowler thought he might offer his condolences regarding what happened to Jack. But the man seemed to figure she'd heard enough and didn't want to burden her. He simply exchanged pleasantries with Miko and Raf. Fowler was surprised when the young Asian girl showed no hostility toward the man, aside from a short debate of Johnny Cash vs. Slash Monkey.

He glanced towards the Autobots, "I may not speak for everyone on Earth, but I want to you to know that most of us, who know about you, appreciate what you've been doing." There was a derisive snort from Ratchet, who kept his focus on his computer, but the others simply accepted the General's words. Optimus returned a few moments later.

"General, Agent Folwer, we are ready to depart. Smokescreen, activate the ground-bridge." He nodded and pulled the switch as the two men descended and Optimus assumed his vehicle mode. The vortex came to life, illuminating the room in its glow as Mitchell watched in slight awe before getting into the cabin. Optimus soon drove through bridge and they soon found themselves in canyon. Mitchell had to fight off a spell of dizziness as he got out, nearly falling to the ground.

"You get used to it," Fowler said.

"Noted," was the reply as he stood and monitored the area.

"Not far from this location," Optimus said as he transformed. "is the area where my scout, Bumblebee, and myself encountered the Decepticon, Skyquake. There has been no further activity to suggest that other warriors are hidden on this planet but I feel the same as your government that this area must be searched."

"That's why we're here Prime," Fowler replied. Before they could move further, Optimus comnlink beeped to life.

"Optimus!" came the frantic tone of Ratchet. "The base had been infiltrated!"

"By whom?"

"Dreadwing."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

Dreadwing wasn't sure what had possessed him to jump through the ground-bridge without first considering the possibility it was an enemy transport. Normally, he would have waited for either an Autobot or Decepticon to make their way through and respond according to the situation. Perhaps being in the presence of these organic life forms caused one's processor to no longer consider normal war parameters. That would certainly explain the Autobots' grave disadvantage on this planet, one the Decepticons would readily exploit. Thoughts like that often drew an inquiry that often dictated Dreadwing's actions: How would Maximus approach the situation?

He'd been a great general before settling for arena as a home as payment for his mega-cycles of brave leadership. Most warriors would follow examples left by the elders, yet Dreadwing often found himself acting on his own instincts. Perhaps that was the folly of youth, even when compared to species as young as these organics. Regardless, Dreadwing leapt through the bridge and found muzzles of blasters aimed at his face, their distinctive whirring alerting him to the Autobots. The Wrecker, Bulkhead, was ready to fire while the scout, Bumblebee, and the new recruit, Smokescreen, stood guard in front of the humans while the femme, Arcee, glared at him from what appeared to be a make-shift sick bay.

The medic, Ratchet, was already at the main computer of what Dreadwing now knew to be the Autobots' secret base. Immediately, the Seeker thoughts about how he would escape and return with Lord Megatron and the Decepticon force to reduce this hidden fortress to ash. Yet two things prevented him: the Wrecker's blasters aimed directly at his face and the organic hidden from view in his curled servo. He realized he was subconsciously adding as little pressure as possible as to keep from crushing the boy. The boy's conditioning was worsening and the Decepitcon 1st Lieutenant found himself with a difficult choice.

For the moment, he registered the ground-bridge re-opening and Optimus Prime approaching him, two more humans in tow. Dreadwing knew he was surrounded and that it would be folly to simply attempt to fight his way out. Still, he did not reveal the boy in his servos just yet as he attempted to gauge what would become of him as their prisoner.

The Prime kept visage clean of emotion, the affect being similar to donning his battle mask, as he spoke, "Dreadwing, it would seem you survived the implosion of the ground-bridge."

"Indeed, Optimus Prime," he replied. "Reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. I instead found myself in an alternate dimension, a Shadowzone if you will. Where you left my brother to wander aimlessly." Recognition lit up in the Prime's optics as he replied.

"Indeed, while investigating a Dark Energon signal, we happened up on Starscream in the process of resurrecting Skyquake. Though we managed to chase him off, he had already succeeded, but an implosion similar to the one you endured resulted in Skyquake being trapped in the Shadowzone."

"You claimed to bear my brother no malice, yet left him in a state of perpetual entrapment between life and death," accused the Seeker. "And have the audacity to keep such information from me."

"What, the 'Cons didn't tell you that little detail when you showed up?" the Wrecker scoffed. Dreadwing nearly curled his servo into a fist but remained aware of the human in his grasp. He could also sense the suspicion in the Prime that he hadn't yet stood. He knew the Autoobt leader would not allow harm to befall him unless provoked and so he hadn't much time to decide.

"Dreadwing, are you injured?"

_Unsurprising_, thought the azure Seeker, who remained silent while the medic reluctantly followed the silent command given by the Prime when he turned his gaze to him. Dreadwing shifted under the scanner to prevent the human from being detected. When the scan was complete, the medic's optics widened.

"By the allspark…" he gasped. "Cosmic rust." The silence that followed left the Seeker confused as even the Prime found himself taken aback. He glanced around to find them all in a state similar to as if they had been caught off guard by a stasis beam. Before he could voice his question, one of the human femmes made herself known.

"Dude!" she shouted. "You mean Dreadwing and Arcee are married!?" Dreadwing didn't understand what the term "married" meant, but he look on the femme's face drew his intrigue. He attempted to access what served as humanity's information superhighway, only to find his attempts blocked. Of course, the Autobots would only allow themselves and their human companions access, lest Soundwave discover their location. For now, he gauged that this term must have been some form of insult given the disgust written on the femme's face.

Before he could voice his opinion on the matter the Autobots had all but forgotten him.

"Like I would ever!" shouted the femme.

"But he's got Cosmic rust," the scout beeped.

"It's the only logical explanation," the medic replied, shaking his head in exacerbation. He entered sick bay to begin work on something that didn't draw the Seeker's attention. The other Autobots and their organics conversed amongst themselves.

"Care to explain, Agent Fowler?" asked a human he hadn't yet seen before.

"Yes sir," replied the organic who had supplied his vehicle mode. "You see, Arcee was stricken with a Cybertronian disease, Cosmic rust, but showed no signs of infection. The only other way that would be possible is if she was 'bonded', in others words, married, to another Cybertronian, in this apparent case, Dreadwing."

Now Dreadwing understood a few more things, "I believe you are mistaken."

"How I _wish_ we were," the medic replied from sick bay. "But the evidence is conclusive. You have Cosmic rust, as does Arcee. The only logical explanation, however horrifying it is for all of us, is that you are somehow bonded."

"Scan me again, medic," the Seeker ordered. "and you may find your results rather intriguing."

"I don't take orders from any Decepticon, least of all Megatron's second-in-command," the red and white Autobot replied. However, another stern gaze from the Prime drew him from his sick bay and his scanner was running it over him again. The results returned, "Hmph, as I suspected, the results are exactly the sa-. Wait…"

Now, they all found themselves listening, "The scans reveal Dreadwing has only recently contracted Cosmic rust, whereas Arcee shows signs of a longer infection."

"In other words?" asked the new recruit.

"Dreadwing is not Arcee's sparkmate, as she would have contracted it from him, not the other way around."

"Thank the Allspark," the femme replied. A better mech than Dreadwing would resisted the urge to roll his optics, but the Seeker was himself. As the Autobots noticeably relaxed, Dreadwing came to another realization. He realized his choice was clear; it was what Maximus would have done in the same situation. Dreadwing stood on his feet, facing the Prime whilst ignoring the Wrecker bark orders for him to get back on the ground.

He walked to sick bay, the femme drawing her own blasters, and held out his servo to her, uncurling it to reveal the boy. The femme's optics widened in shock as she took in the sight of her organic charge. Her voice was soft, "Jack…"

Immediately, the Seeker found himself surrounded as Autobot and organic attempted to see what lay in his servo. The oldest femme, held up by the medic, gasped, almost choking over a sob. He took in her appearance for the first time and concluded she was his carrier. The femme gently took the boy from her and Dreadwing moved off to the side. Seeing the Autobot leader approach, a question obviously on his lips, he simply replied, "Scan him."

This time, the medic complied, and gasped, "Cosmic rust, he's been infected long enough to have infected Arcee.

"I assume I am free of any guilt of forming a bond with an enemy?" Dreadwing asked, voice thick with sarcasm that was foreign to him. Another thing to blame on the boy's presence.

**Honor and Duty**

Jack fainly registered the sounds of voices, machines, etc. all around him when he opened his eyes. He was met with blinding white and closed them to adjust to the brightness, running a hand over his face. He hadn't shaven, or showered, in days so he assumed he reeked of an odor akin to a trash heap and looked unruly. He then realized that he was in a bed and opened his eyes, his vision much clearer. The first sight he took in was that of his partner, smiling at him with warmth that wasn't usually shown in public.

"Welcome home, partner," she said simply, but the words were enough to cause Jack's eyes to burn with tears as he took in what was happening. Soon enough, he was pulled into his mother's embrace, barely catching what she was mumbling into his shoulder. She pulled back to cup his face, tears shining in her eyes. He instinctively placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort, as well as to assure she was real and this wasn't some cruel dream.

"Mom," he couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips. "I… how did…?"

"It would seem we are fortunate the ground-bridge allowed us to return," replied a voice from behind. Jack turned to face his companion for the last several days.

"Dreadwing! What are you…"

"_Unfortunately_, the ground-bridge led to the Autobot base, thus I am now a prisoner of war."

"Prisoner, but he helped me!" His mother and Arcee both exchanged surprised expressions as Ratchet entered sick bay.

"He hadn't mentioned that," the medic turned an inquiring gaze at the Seeker.

"Would you have believed me, a Decepticon?"

"Was that humor?" Jack couldn't help but tease. Dreadwing simply ignored him while Ratchet administered something to him.

"Luckily, for _you_, Jack's anatomy is small enough for only a single drop, and that Optimus' sense of gratitude is as vast as Cybertron itself. Otherwise-"

"I think he gets the point, Ratchet," Jack interjected. As the others entered sick bay, Jack found himself nearly overwhelmed until Optimus managed to calm them down. He stood in front of Dreadwing.

"Dreadwing, you are mistaken to believe you are our prisoner," he said. "You have proven worthy of mercy by returning one of our human allies to us. And this furthers my offer that you abandon the Decepticon moniker and join our cause."

"I have already given my answer, Prime," the Seeker growled. "I will not abandon Lord Megatron or betray the memory of my brother simply placate this ridiculous belief of yours."

"Very well," sighed the Prime. "Ratchet, prepare the ground-bridge to deposit Dreadwing in an area where he can contact the Decpeticons for retrieval." The medic looked ready to argue, but saw it was pointless and did as instructed while the other Autobots glared at the Seeker who pain them no mind. Jack couldn't help the feeling of disappointment at Dreadwing's refusal, but kept it to himself. Soon enough, the others left as well, while Miko flashed her usual Cheshire grin, never a good sign.

"I guess congrats are in order, Jack," she stifled a giggle. "I can recommend a good carwash for a honeymoon spot." Jack tilted his head and wondered what Miko was talking about, looking to Arcee and his mother. The femme seemed uncomfortable for some reason, while June couldn't help but stifle a laugh of her own.

"What are you talking about, now, Miko?"

"It would seem that you and the femme are bonded," Dreadwing answered, earning an icy glare from Arcee.

"Huh?"

"You and Arcee," his mother sighed. "…are married."

"…Huh?"

**Honor and Duty**

Dreadwing exited the ground-bridge, happy to be free from Autobot capture, as well as escape the disorganized atmosphere of their base. He couldn't the sigh as he thought about the disarray the Autobots were forced to deal with on a daily basis. He almost felt pity for his sworn enemies but the feeling quickly disappeared as he transformed and flew off in the distance. Through sheer coincidence, the _Nemesis_ was nearby and so he as he approached, he was contacted immediately.

"Dreadwing?" came the surprised rasp of Lord Megatron. "Is that you?"

"Indeed, Lord Megatron," he replied. "I have returned." He transformed, landing on the ship and kneeling before his one true Lord and Master. Accompanying him were Soundwave and Knock Out, the latter equally surprised while the former gazed from behind his visor.

"Rise, Dreadwing," commanded the Decepticon leader. "And tell us how you are still among us."

"It is a long story, my Lord," he replied. "I was trapped in the Shadowzone, a dimension moving at a faster speed than our own. I was able to observe you and the others as well. I was forced to form an alliance with the human responsible for ruining your plans. I had planned to bring him to you for due punishment, but I was forced to relinquish him to the Autobots when I found myself in their base. Sadly, I was not even able to discern its location as I was briefly taken prisoner."

"It is fine, Dreadwing," replied Megatron. "It is enough that you have returned. As I said, loyalty such as yours is hard to come by. Therefore, I pleased that we do not have to wait for another as devoted as you to join our inner circle."

"Gratitude, my Lord," he replied.

"Come, Knock Out will repair any damage you sustained while away," he led Dreadwing, Soundwave, and Knock Out into the _Nemesis_ to the medical bay. It hadn't taken long for the medic to find that everything was in order and dismiss him to his quarters. Along his way, he heard the shocked whispers of the troopers as they caught sight of him. Outside his quarters, he was met by Lord Megatron.

"I trust you can have this repaired at a later time?" he handed him his balde.

"Of course, Lord Megatron, my thanks," he took the sword and bowed. Megatron simply turned and strode down the hall.

Before Dreadwing entered his quarters, Megatron spoke, "Dreadwing, do not foolishly throw yourself at the enemy without backup again. With Optimus Prime in possession of the Star Saber, I cannot afford to lose any officers pivotal to my chain of command. Understood?"

"Of course, one true Lord and Master." Megatron glanced over his shoulder and left as Dreadwing entered his quarters. He sat in meditation with the blade of Maximus, the very weapon he'd used to end his sire's life.

**Honor and Duty**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. One more chapter to go.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Epilogue**

Jack never thought a shower would be so soothing after everything that had just happened. Aside from having spent at least a week in the Shadowzone, he came home to find out he was "bonded" to Arcee. That meant he was, for lack of a better word, _married_ to her. He wasn't sure how he'd found the time to get away from his mother and partner's dotting. He said nothing though; he was sure they were both put through a great deal of suffering thanks to him.

Every time he woke up, he found her at his side, sleeping with his hand in hers as if she were afraid he was going to disappear. He was happy to wait until she left for work before headed to the shower. Arcee was happy to wait in her quarters once the both of them were cleared of any infections. He'd barely been able to look at her or keep up a conversation. He knew sooner or later they'd have to deal with the awkwardness but that was a situation for later.

After cleaning himself up, shaving and changing into a fresh pair of clothes, he left the bathroom and went into the hallway. He was so focused on the potential scenarios, and how'd they play out, he almost failed to realize Smokescreen was standing there, waiting for him. He hadn't found time to speak with him either; he'd kept a respectable distance while his mother and Arcee worried over him. However, Jack could tell there was something different in the way Smokescreen carried himself now. The majority of his personality was still intact, but something had changed.

"Hey," Jack finally said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Hey," he replied, just as awkwardly. Jack assumed Smokescreen had a tough time dealing with his apparent death. He'd never fought in the War on Cybertron, so he probably never had to face the death of a comrade, even if it was a human. He may have never even seen death from the Autobot side of things until now. Jack wondered how he'd dealt with, especially since Arcee had no doubt placed the blame chiefly on him.

Smokescreen spoke at last, "I'm sorry for dragging into that mess, Jack. "

"It wasn't your fault," Jack countered. "I could have said no, I could have put a stop to those stupid pranks."

"You weren't pulling them until I showed up. And because of me, you were stuck in the Shadowzone with Dreadwing for Primus knows how long. Guess we're lucky it wasn't Megatron."

Jack couldn't help a small laugh, "He probably would have tried to kill me and figure out how to get out later. At the very least, he would have been out of the way for the time-being. Still, it wasn't all bad; I've got a better understanding of why the 'Cons follow Megatron."

"And why's that?"

Jack stopped just short of answering, pondering on how the others would react. Optimus, having seen it for himself, would understand but he wasn't sure about the others. Besides, he felt it wasn't his place to tell them about what most 'Cons, specifically Dreadwing, went through before they became an army. Finally, he settled for, "It's nothing really, you probably wouldn't understand."

"Probably right," the new recruit conceded. "Still, I won't risk you or any of the other humans again, promise."

"I'm glad to hear that," he smiled. "Bulkhead wouldn't be as controlling of his anger as Arcee." Smokescreen chuckled at that and decided to go rest in his quarters until the next mission. Jack felt a little better about his disappearance now. At least he'd done as Optimus had asked of him and taught Smokescreen the value of human life. He was happy he hadn't let the Prime down.

Reaching the small space where the humans interacted, he was met by Raf and Bumblebee playing games. Miko and her Wrecker partner were no doubt dune bashing. Ratchet was busy at work with something only Raf and Optimus would understand. Said Prime was probably reporting everything to the military personnel who oversaw their operations. He remembered a conversation his mother and Ratchet had while they thought he was asleep.

He'd woken up just as they were talking but didn't want them to stop in case they didn't want him to hear. It was a good thing too, since Optimus had apparently been experiencing self-doubt in his absence. He was refusing to use the Star Saber and the window in which they could use to its maximum potential was closing fast, especially with Dreadwing back amongst the Decepticon ranks. Jack normally made it a policy not to interfere too much with the 'Bots' military strategies but he had to make an exception since he was the cause. With that in mind, he went down the hall that led to Optimus' quarters.

He found himself before the large door that was used to accommodate the Prime's size and felt slight trepidation. He'd never been in Optimus' room before (or any of the others aside from Arcee's) and this wasn't a casual visit. He was looking to try and help him regain some of the lost confidence like he'd done so many times for the others, himself included. Swallowing nervously, he knocked as loudly on the door as he could. The few moments following seemed to stretch on forever before the door slid open.

The titanic form of Optimus Prime towered over him as he looked down at the human so many times smaller than him. Fighting off the nervousness, Jack cleared his throat and said, "Hey, Optimus."

"Greetings, Jack," the Prime rumbled in response. "Is there something you need help with?"

"You could say that," he instinctively rubbed the back of his head. "Could I come in, if it's not too much trouble that is?"

Optimus offered a small smile to ease Jack's obvious awkwardness, "Of course not, Jack." He stood aside and let Jack and the human took in the Prime's quarters for the first time. It was rather spare, nothing of note aside from a console with which he probably spoke to government officials directly. He assumed there were something even the rest of Team Prime weren't able to know just yet. Jack could feel Optimus' questioning gaze on him and turned to look him in the optics.

"I was wondering if we could talk for a minute." Immediately, Optimus knelt down to save Jack the trouble of a strained neck.

"What troubles you, Jackson?"

"I overheard my mom and Ratchet talk about you," he started. "They said you haven't used the Star Saber since Dreadwing and I got trapped in the Shadowzone." He waited a moment but he wasn't sure why. Optimus was rarely ever surprised and never flustered, though there was a noticeable change in his expression. That familiar guilt, the feeling that he'd failed to live up to the standards he'd apparently set for himself, appeared. Normally, Jack wouldn't pry into Optimus' psyche like this but it had to be done, just like with Dreadwing, for his own good as well as the rest of Team Prime.

"Yes," he spoke after an uncharacteristic silence. "When I wielded the Star Saber, it seemed I had forgotten to take responsibility for the power I know held. That recklessness nearly resulted in the loss of you, one of our most valued allies. For that, Jackson, know that I am sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Optimus. I think I get it a little. I mean, after years of battling the 'Cons, always at a disadvantage, having something like that to shift things in your favor. I think anyone would have felt the same way you did. Goes to show you that even Primes can make mistakes."

Despite himself, Optimus smiled, "A wise inquiry."

"But," now he had to get to the heart of the matter. "I'm here, I'm alive, so you don't have to feel guilty anymore. Believe it or not, even _you_ are allowed a mistake or two every once in a while. You need to use the Star Saber to its fullest potential and stop Megatron before he finds a way to even the playing field again. I'm pretty sure he wasn't mourning Dreadwing and instead was searching for a way to do just that."

"Jack-"

"Optimus," Jack put a little more force into his voice while still conveying the respect he held for the Prime. Time to see how much of a leader was in him, if what Ratchet said about him was anything to go on. "There's no time to waste. The 'Cons are planning something right now. You, me, everyone knows it and the Star Saber may be the only to stop them. Please, Optimus, you need to stop blaming yourself for what happened."

There was a moment where Jack wondered if he'd overstepped his boundary with the Prime and waited for a scolding. However, one never came and instead Optimus smiled again, a new light in his optics. There was, dare he say, pride in his gaze as he stared down at the boy and Jack could feel himself blush slightly.

"Thank you, Jack. You are right about my needing to wield the Star Saber in order to help bring an end to this war once and for all. I will still have zero tolerance for the reckless endangerment of human safety, including from myself, but I shall heed your advice. You have my gratitude."

Jack was pretty sure his face was redder than Optimus' paint job, "Your welcome, Optimus. Thanks for listening."

**Epilogue**

Ratchet stood in sick bay while going over the data he'd compiled on both Jack and Arcee after careful study. There was still no satisfactory explanation for this apparent bond that had formed between them. Such a thing was unheard of, a Cybertronian and an organic life-form. The scientific part of the red and white mech thought it was both outrageous and intriguing. At the very least, he knew how Jack contracted Cosmic rust: FlameWar.

The deranged femme had no doubt contracted it herself during her years spent in maddening hatred for Arcee. She had apparently had enough contact with Jack to have infected him somehow, though how an organic could become infected with such a Cybertronian affliction was another processer-boggling issue. The part of him that accepted some forms of irrationality considered Unicron being the Earth's core. There was that connection between their two species, however vile it was, that could have been the only explanation. As much as it wounded his pride as a medical expert, Ratchet had no clear answer.

He relayed as much to Arcee and Jack when he summoned them afterward.

"So there's no telling just how this happened?" Arcee asked.

Ratchet sighed in irritation, "I'm afraid not. As hard as it is to accept, we may never know how truly deep the apparent connection between humanity and Cybertron goes."

"So, what about the bond?" Jack asked hesitantly. "Is there any way to get rid of it?"

"A bond is only as strong as the two sparkmates. However, it can weaken over a short period of time if not renewed. And the means of a bond renewal were lost with the rest of Cybertron. Besides, the bond between the two of you, in the context of which we're speaking, is not as strong as the standard bond. In terms of friendship however, you two are the strongest I have ever come across."

"See?" Arcee smiled at her partner. "There's no reason to be worried. It'll dissipate after a while. Besides, without Cosmic rust, I barely feel it. You?"

"Yeah," he smiled, though he was still nervous. "Still, it's weird. I never thought I'd be married at this age. My mom pretty much imprinted that in to me as soon as I started looking at girls. At least you're not pregnant."

"Well…"

"Not funny," he frowned. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not give Mom a heart attack, or worse, have her throttle me."

"I don't think she'd _throttle_ you."

"Excuse me if I'm not taking that chance."

"Keep up that attitude and you'll be sleeping on the couch." The two of them laughed, all awkwardness gone. Ratchet rolled his optics and returned to his work.

**Epilogue**

Optimus was communicating with General Scott Mitchell, head of the Group of Specialized Tactics, or GST. After reporting Jack's survival to the military powers, the inquiry into the Autobots' interactions with the humans no longer held the threat of separation. The General had made an appointment to speak with the Prime after the meeing.

"I'm glad to see everything is back to normal, Optimus Prime," he said.

"As am I, General," Optimus replied. "But I am curious as to why you wished to speak with me in privacy."

"It is in regards to Mr. Darby," he began. "After what he's endured, trapped in a survival situation with a hostile, I think it's best we provide him with a means to survive in case he finds himself in a similar situation with a party less willing to work with him."

"I see," Optimus pondered for a moment. "And what would you suggest?"

A wry smile worked its way onto the General's face, "Optimus Prime, do you believe in Ghosts?"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. And this story, despite what it seemed, followed the same principals as FlameWar and was NOT Jack/Arcee. Even so, thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows. I will start on my next story after finishing a side-project of mine.**

**Next Story: ShadowStrike: Blood Stained Sand.**


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